My Sin
by Vellichor29
Summary: Animals lack the capacity to determine actions as either good or evil. To them, actions are actions. But it is widely considered in the animal kingdom that hyenas are garbage. Most hyenas vehemently refuse to believe this, but not her. Meet Shenzi Marie Predatora Veldetta Jacquelina Hyena, and she knows she's evil.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – Nefas:

Author's Note:

 **I've been sitting on this for awhile, just waiting to post it. I really like Lion King... I'm not sure if its because I really like Hamlet or if I actually like the characters. But in any case, Shenzi and the hyenas are my favorite Lion King characters. They're... well, they're dragged through the dirt throughout the series. So this story focuses on Shenzi and her friends. There's no real way to explain the story except that strange things happen to Shenzi that changes the story of Lion King. I'll admit that I took a little artistic liberty with Shenzi's character. We don't get to see much of Shenzi in the movies, but we know that she's the most intelligent of the hyena trio. In this story, she's going to be extremely intelligent. So, uh, OOC warning? Kind of... any who, I'll let you all decide as you read. Oh, before I forget, thank you All Hail King Scar for inspiring me to actually post this story... I've had (most of it) typed out even before I joined fanficiton.**

XXX

Light was a deceptive entity. Light was not permanent. It was not always here. Light will eventually fade. But the lions referred to light as a symbol of divine right to rule. Everything the light touched was theirs. But what kind of rule was that? Just because the light shone where they wanted, they had the _right_ to take what they pleased? And they act like the land was made for them.

That's why the light touched their land. It was "theirs." _As if,_ a single female hyena thought to herself. She and two others sat atop a large elephant skull. Today was the anniversary of the day they had been kicked out of the Pridelands. She couldn't remember how long ago that was, but it was before she was born. And she didn't know _why_.

She never liked the light anyways. Light made her eyes do funny things. In the light, the truth was no longer apparent. That's why the lions lived so comfortably, they lived a lie. She lived in reality. Light was not permanent. Light faded, it came and went. But darkness was forever.

So what about the lands covered in shadows? They called these lands the elephant graveyard. No light touched here, and thus the lions did not claim these lands as their own. The female hyena called the graveyard her home. Here she was matriarch of an entire clan of hyenas. But not through some bullshit lie such as divine right to rule, though she did joke and say she ruled everything the light _didn't_ touch. No, she was the strongest, smartest, and toughest hyena in the clan. So she claimed her right to rule from her mother. Her name was Shenzi.

And these were dark times. Food was scarce and many hyenas have died, be it from starvation or disease. She knew that her mother had command of over two hundred loyal hyenas. But after many years of famine and disease, that ended up claiming her mother as well, the number dwindled at just over eighty strong. And just like that, disease vanished and the food returned for a few months. But it did not last long.

There was a reason it was called the elephant graveyard. Nothing living lived here. Except the hyenas. All of the food was in the Pridelands, but the hyenas were forbidden from going there. Shenzi remembered when the graveyard was less than a square mile of territory. Now it was over five square miles, adding to the land not touched by the light. The graveyard now separated the Pridelands from the Outlands and the desert.

Shenzi did not know what was across the desert, and she was hesitant to find out. Her mother had never ventured there, so she refused as well. Besides, the hyenas were not in good enough condition to make it across a large area with no food or water. And Shenzi refused to lead her clan into the Outlands. For one thing, the Outlands were just as barren as the graveyard. Another thing was the rumors of a vicious band of lions living there. Shenzi did not wish to risk her clan's lives, it was safer in the graveyard.

 _Lions,_ she thought bitterly, a foul taste left behind on her tongue. There was a reason a group of lions was called a pride, it was their sin. A curse they weren't aware of. _But the hyenas are cursed with gluttony,_ Shenzi rationed. She just couldn't help herself sometimes. Having so little food can do that to you.

 _But not all lions are bad_ , Shenzi sighed to herself. Fond memories surfaced of her childhood. She, along with her two friends, had met a lonely lion cub named Taka. He was so alone, he looked towards the hyenas as friends. Even though they were still banished at the time. Taka came by every few days with food. They would laugh and play and Shenzi's mother would look the other way, thinking that Taka could change the lions' views on hyenas. How naive that was.

Taka stopped coming. Years passed where Taka was not seen by any of the hyenas. Then one day, a full grown lion waltzed into the elephant graveyard like he owned the place. He had sought her out specifically. She had just recently become matriarch at the time. She didn't recognize him at first, he was older but still thin. "Taka?" she had finally recognized him after he had called her by name. _How rude of you to forget me,_ he had said. That's when Shenzi realized the lion before her was no longer her friend.

The lion came bearing a promise. "Make me king, and you shall never go hungry again!" he had declared. Shenzi was skeptical, but the rest of her clan took to it. That was a year ago. The lion came by every few days, claiming he was waiting for the right moment, and the moment was near. Each time he appeared, Shenzi was reminded of Taka. But the lion had taken on the burden of new sins.

The lion was still prideful, as was his nature, but he was more than that now. And at the same time less. He had taken on the extra burden of new sins that had changed him from the lonely lion she once knew. Taka had been consumed by Scar.

And Shenzi couldn't bear to be near him. It hurt too much to see her friend consumed like he had been. Scar had devised a plan to make him king. His brother was having a son soon, and he was going to trick the son into the hyenas maws. That would lure Mufasa into the elephant graveyard where Scar and the hyenas could deal the killing blow. It was all Shenzi could do not to vomit every time he brought up his plan.

But it was Shenzi's only way out. And she had to take it for the sake of her clan. If it was just her and her two friends, she would've told Scar to fuck off. But she wept inside when the cubs died. The mothers needed food to produce their milk. The only thing that comforted her was that if the pride of lions were in her position, they wouldn't have lasted a week. Their king was selected by a lie, she was a better leader than him.

While Shenzi continued to ponder her situation, the two hyenas behind her had grown bored. One of them was rolling around, laughing his ass off. This hyena was known simply as Ed. One look at Ed and you would immediately dismiss any brains he might have had. Ed had a permanent smile on his face, his gaze was listless and his eyes were glassy. He didn't seem as if he was "all there." His tongue also often hung out of his mouth, contributing to his idiotic disposition. It did not help he could not speak properly.

The second hyena was also male. He had bushy eyebrows and stubble on his chin. His name was Banzai. Both Ed and Banzai were large and strong for male hyenas. They were nearly as large as Shenzi was. Although it could be argued Ed was the larger and stronger of the two males, Banzai was no slouch. Unlike Ed, he did not have the predisposition of being an idiot attached to him. He was certainly not an idiot, but hunger drove his purpose.

Not many understood why Shenzi, the clan matriarch, would allow two males to be in her presence. In the clan, all females, regardless of their status when compared to Shenzi herself, automatically outranked every single male. Except Banzai and Ed because Shenzi would not allow it. Banzai and Shenzi had been good friends ever since they were cubs, Ed had joined the duo a year after they had been born.

Neither were exactly sure why Ed could not speak properly, but they knew it had something to do with humans. Ed had been born in human captivity, and they had experimented on him. Although Shenzi and Banzai could understand him just fine, few messed with Ed. Ed had several notches taken out of both of his ears, a testament to his strength and his escape from imprisonment. And that wasn't all he had sacrificed, though he refused to reveal exactly what else had been taken from him.

Shenzi continued to think. Even though she could hear Banzai complaining under his breath. Shenzi liked to stop and think, quite literally. She would suddenly stop moving and concentrate hard on thinking. Sometimes she would just fall to the ground without even realizing it. It was what Banzai admired most about her. She took her time to make decisions, she wasn't usually rash. And she had been thinking a lot as of late, and her thoughts were becoming more troubling.

Her mind kept going back to Taka. _Scar,_ she hissed to herself. When Scar demanded he be called such, Shenzi happily agreed. She didn't want to associate the monster that was Scar with her childhood friend. She had no qualms killing Mufasa, none of the hyenas did. Mufasa had personally killed several of her clanmates for venturing into _his territory_ and was the main obstacle standing in her way to getting back into the Pridelands. But she couldn't get over the idea of killing Mufasa's son, who hasn't even been born yet.

The other hyenas jumped at the opportunity. Killing a cub was easy, especially if it was in your way. But Shenzi had trouble justifying it. It was one thing to kill a lion who had wronged you, it was another to kill a cub who had never wronged anyone. But she couldn't show Scar any weakness. Scar preyed on the weak, and Shenzi was not weak.

"Good afternoon, my dear Shenzi," a silky smooth baritone said. Speak of the devil. It was Scar. He sat on the ground, several feet below where Shenzi sat atop the elephant skull. Scar did not address the males. He knew quite a bit about the clan's dynamics and knew that males ranked low, so he didn't bother with them. Shenzi didn't dare correct him. If he threatened either of the males, he could easily get to her.

Shenzi ignored him for the most part, she was still thinking. Although she was mostly conscious of her surroundings, she was too distracted to properly greet Scar. Banzai nudged her discreetly, trying to get her to regain her focus, which she did. She glared at him briefly, but slid down the skull's tusks to greet Scar up close. Banzai and Ed followed. She touched her nose to the ground and said, "Good afternoon, Scar."

For lions, touching your nose to the ground was a sign of submission, but not to the hyenas. To them, it was a sign of respect. Not that Scar considered it anything other than subservience. "I see you three are doing well."

"Well? We ain't got nothing to eat around here!" Banzai burst out. It had been several days since any of them had anything to eat. Shenzi herself had abstained for longer, giving her food to the only mother who still had cubs.

"That's too bad," Scar said mockingly. "Perhaps I'll bring something by next time I visit. But today I have some good news," he smiled cruelly. Shenzi had suspected Scar was aware of her misgivings towards his plan, but neither dared voice them. Scar may be popular with the hyenas, but Shenzi was still their matriarch. "Mufasa's cub was born today. It'll be only a couple of weeks now."

Shenzi didn't reply, but she did nod. Ed shook his head rapidly in excitement and Banzai grinned like a madman. No matter what she thought, she couldn't hate the two for willingly wanting to kill the king's son.

Shenzi was lost in thought once again and missed Scar leaving. She couldn't blame the two males for wanting out. But there had to be a better way to do this. The hyenas were quickly adding wrath to their list of sins. If they killed the king's son, that would be it. They would become more and more like Scar until the only difference between the two was that Scar was a lion and they were hyenas. This thought reverberated in Shenzi's mind. _She_ could become like Scar.

And it wasn't a fear she could share. Not even with her friends. They loved Scar, they thought he was an excellent role model. If she told them she was scared of becoming like him, they would _push_ for her to make the transition. There would be no saving her. Not that she needed to be saved.

"Alright, let's go," Shenzi finally said. Banzai and Ed perked up immediately, Ed letting out a whoop in excitement.

The trio left the elephant graveyard. There was a small stretch of land between the graveyard and the desert. She just called them the badlands. Things lived in the badlands. Small things, mostly insects, but there were several prey items on the list. One such animal was the meerkat. The trio knew of a colony of meerkats not far from where they lived. There was nothing dangerous in the badlands, so they had nothing to fear.

Meerkats were small and hard to catch. In fact, none of the hyenas had ever caught a single meerkat. But it was fun to harass the colony. At least, that's what Banzai and Ed believed. Their little excursions to the meerkat colony was Shenzi's excuse to go scouting. She did not order her friends around out of respect and the other hyenas were too busy preparing for the upcoming battle with Mufasa that they could not be bothered with scouting. Banzai would only go hunting if he knew he was getting food out of it. Ed only went when Banzai went.

But Shenzi had tricked them several times with the meerkat excuse. They would chase around the meerkats for awhile, while Shenzi took the opportunity to look for other prey. She had been tracking a herd of zebra for several weeks now, and she wanted to make sure they were in the perfect position before she made the hunting parties go after them.

Shenzi knew that they could never catch more than one meerkat each. It would take ten whole meerkats to satisfy a grown hyena. A single one would only make him or her hungrier. Banzai didn't seem to understand this. It didn't matter much because the meerkats were damn near impossible to catch. It didn't make it any less fun, however. And Shenzi would admit to having fun as well. The rest of the world though of her as a monster, why shouldn't she be allowed to become one? Even if only for a short while.

XXX

 **It's a little short, I know. But this is just the starting point. We learn a little about Shenzi, she understands the concept of "evil" and that's important. It's what makes her different. So for time reference, this takes place during the first scene of Lion King one and a half, just before Timon goes on guard duty. Which also makes it a day before Simba's ceremony. Hope that helps clear up time confusion. Stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Ira:

Author's Note:

 **Shenzi is not our only character of interest. This chapter we're going to be introduced to our next character of interest. Timon. Before you all start to complain, Timon is going to be a little OOC as well. I'm ramping up his intelligence and ramping down (is that a phrase?) his selfishness. Don't worry, he's still going to be a little selfish, sarcastic, and witty, but he's going to be more than that. So what will happen when these two titans collide? Will there be blood? Or will something else blossom? Let's find out.**

XXX

The trio trekked through the Badlands. The Badlands were mostly void of large predators, so prey could thrive in the ecosystem. The hyenas rarely ventured out this far due to the need to stick together.

Although the idea of moving the clan out to the Badlands had occurred to Shenzi, she had decided against such an action. She figured that the ecosystem could not support a large group of predators such as hyenas. If the ecosystem happened to collapse, then they would be right back where they started. Starving.

So Shenzi had instead opted to send the occasional hunting party out to the Badlands. They didn't bring back much, mostly because large prey was nearly non-existent here. Except for the occasional zebra herd that passed through on their way to the Pridelands.

But the zebra tended to wander back and forth between the border. Which made hunting them dangerous. Thus the reason for the trio's excursion. Shenzi needed to track her prey's movements in order for her to ascertain the perfect place to ambush them.

 _Is there any hope to this?_ Shenzi sighed to herself. She and her clan had been banished from the Pridelands for longer than she had been alive. Though many of her clanmates had passed, the smaller clan was pulling through. _Or perhaps there's no point to any of this,_ Shenzi grumbled.

There was no guarantee that the herd would even pass into a location the hyenas could use. If that was the case then Shenzi was just wasting her time and energy. Time and energy better spent protecting her clan.

In truth, Shenzi was becoming bored with living in the graveyard. She longed to be allowed in the Pridelands, where the food was plentiful and there was no bones in sight. She had often considered trying to communicate with Mufasa and make a peace treaty.

But she knew any peace treaty was doomed to fail. Mufasa hated hyenas and would refuse to allow even an audience with her. And they no longer had enough hyenas to fight toe-to-toe with the pride.

Which was why she had to rely on Scar and his underhand trickery. Trickery wasn't how she operated. She was strong and tended to fight her battles head-on. Though she understood the value of trickery, she just preferred an honorable duel. But Scar's plan was the only way into the Pridelands.

She hated Scar with every fiber in her being. And she had no doubt he knew it. He lived off of hatred, most of his own pride hated him as well. But she had no choice. Life expectancy had lowered considerably and hyenas were dropping like flies.

 _We're just holding off the inevitable,_ Shenzi rationed. They were all going to die eventually anyways. Did it matter if they died in the graveyard or in the Pridelands? All food did was stave off the agony of starvation.

"Shenzi?" Banzai asked. She blinked a few times and realized that she had stopped moving and collapsed to the ground. Banzai and Ed were a few meters in front of her.

"I'm fine," she growled. She stood up and re-took her place at the front of the trio. No, she couldn't give up. Giving up made her weak, and she wasn't weak. Even if she had lost hope, she couldn't let her clanmates, let alone Banzai and Ed, lose it too.

Ed giggled something to Banzai. Although Ed lacked the capacity to be quiet, Shenzi seemed to not hear him. "I don't know Ed, she does seem a little... off," Banzai whispered back.

XXX

There was no king in a meerkat colony. No one was considered "above" anyone else. But it was not uncommon for the colony to consider someone "below" everyone else. And the odd meerkat out happened to be named Timon.

Timon was definitely the odd one out. He seemed to be the only one with actual ideas. All of the other meerkats just wanted to dig tunnels. That's all they ever did. Timon wanted something more to life. He wanted freedom and autonomy.

Everyone believed that he was terrible at the jobs assigned to him. It was why he was allowed to just stand around. No one wanted to give him a job in fear he would mess it up. It wasn't that he was messing up _on purpose_ , rather he was so distracted that he often forgot to do his work properly.

It boiled down to the fact that he didn't want to dig all day. It was dreadfully boring, not to mention completely unnecessary and pedantic. Timon didn't know everything about structural engineering, but he did know continuously digging weakened the soil, causing their tunnels to become unstable.

The colony complained that _he_ was the reason the tunnels collapsed every few weeks. What they don't realize is that the constant digging is only making it easier for Timon to destabilize the tunnels.

He would admit to taking joy in sabotaging his own home. Everyone hated him so he hated them back. Well, hate was a strong word. Like it or not, they were family, even if they all hated him. He wanted nothing more than to be accepted by his family.

But he couldn't allow himself to just... dig all day. He wanted something more. Which comes to his master plan. There was a point to all of the tunnel collapsing.

The soil was getting more and more structurally unstable and soon, even the stupidest of meerkats will have to realize the colony had to be moved. Moving was the key. Timon dreamed of a place without predators. Without predators, there existed no need to dig.

The only way to achieve that was to force the colony to move. And move and move and keep moving until they were so far away from the Pridelands that no predator would bother trying to find them.

But the colony was stubborn, and not exactly the brightest bunch either. They believed that digging was the best way to protect the colony from danger. But Timon knew it was only a matter of time until a predator decides to start digging. But no one ever listened to Timon.

Timon knew that moving the colony was dangerous, but there was safety in numbers. And sure, Timon understood their fear. Over the past few weeks, just about when he had first enacted his plan, hyenas began to attack the colony regularly.

They showed up every few days and they wreaked untold chaos. But Timon saw it as all the more reason to leave. The hyenas were just going to keep coming and coming until they learn to start digging.

But no one ever agreed with him. He was passed off as a lunatic. Not one other meerkat believed that there was a place free of predators. Which was why they all believed it was safer to stay here and dig.

It prompted Timon to ponder leaving home alone. It would be twice as dangerous, but he could move twice as fast without having to worry about dead weight. Sure, the colony would practically push him out of the door, but he wasn't sure he could leave Ma like that.

If there was anyone who still genuinely cared for him, it was Ma. She cared for him just like she did everyone else in the colony. Leaving her would be... he didn't want to think about it.

Timon watched as Uncle Max did his rounds. Max was one of the oldest meerkats in the colony and was deemed too old to work. So he took up position as the person who handed out jobs. He made sure everyone was working and Timon was not.

Timon waved at him as he passed by, but Max just ignored him. Timon sighed as Max passed by. _Well, time to get to work,_ he thought. He stood from his sitting position and stretched loudly. No one payed any attention.

He made his way to the surface and started to tap the ground. Finding the location he needed, he started to pile dirt onto the unstable ground. Sometimes he wondered why he even bothered trying to save any of them.

His methods, although effective, were slow. It took weeks for the soil to become weak enough for the colony to consider moving. And the more often he collapsed the tunnels, the more often he was ridiculed. He hated it.

But he pulled through each time, despite the glares. His motives were more centered towards rational self interest, rather than colony safety. He did admit it was safer in numbers, even if they were in a predator free environment.

And he hated being alone. It wasn't that he couldn't deal with being lonely, he could look past lonely. Just the idea of being alone unnerved him. Even in a colony of meerkats that hated him, he was not technically alone.

Suddenly, a spark of inspiration hit him. He could build a sun roof. It would be funny, fail epically, and it would explain why he was just piling dirt on a seemingly random spot. He started to shape the sun roof into a large disk, waiting for the tunnels to collapse.

It did not take long. The ground rumbled and collapsed around the no longer digging and singing meerkats. " **TIMON!** " Uncle Max's voice echoed through the area. He was clearly upset.

Timon bravely met all of the angry glares, but he faltered at the insults. He always did. Thankfully, Ma came to comfort him and pull him away from the crowd. Task accomplished.

XXX

Uncle Max had sat Timon down on the lookout rock and taught him the "tactics" of being a lookout. Timon copied the "scurry, sniff, flinch," method a few times until Max left.

The colony had decided to finally stick Timon away from the tunnels while they repaired them. Timon had never actually been a lookout before, but he knew that it was the most dangerous job. Although few meerkats actually died from it, many went insane from the _idea_ of danger.

Timon stood for several minutes before becoming bored. He began to zone out, though he kept watch through the corner of his eye. And sure enough, he spotted three hyenas. _Of course,_ Timon sighed. They had to show up now.

The urge to alert the colony was outweighed by overwhelming curiosity. It seemed strange, but Timon _recognized_ those hyenas. He had taken time to watch every hyena attack from a distance. He noticed that every single attack for the past few weeks had been carried out by the same three hyenas.

The same three hyenas that were approaching his position at this very moment. Why were these three specifically targeting his colony? They had never caught anything, so why did they keep coming back? Not even hyenas were that stupid.

He turned his back to the hyenas and looked down towards the colony. They were going about their day as if nothing was wrong. He pondered warning them about the hyenas. _I'd be hailed as a hero,_ Timon thought.

 _I don't want to be a hero,_ Timon realized. At least, not this way. It was counter-intuitive to go down there and warn them of the hyenas. It would undo all the work he had put into forcing the colony to move.

A new idea tugged on Timon's brain. What if he used the hyenas to scare the colony. If he informed the hyenas that digging would uproot their prey, they may actually catch some of them. After the attack, he might have a chance to convince them to move.

But there was only one problem with that idea. If he didn't warn the clan of the hyenas, he would die. If he stayed here, he would be killed. Above all else, Timon did not want to die.

 _Perhaps I could reason with them,_ Timon thought, but immediately threw the idea out. Reasoning with a hyena was impossible, he doubted any of them would be intelligent enough to understand what was going on and just eat him.

 _Maybe it would be easier to convince them that I am not worth eating,_ Timon rationed. He could feel their hungry gazes on his backside. They were very close. There was no way he could convince them he wasn't worth killing.

He could feel them right behind him. He knew that it was now or never. If he ran, he would alert the colony. If he didn't, he would die. _Perhaps it is not impossible to reason with a hyena,_ Timon hoped.

It was a calculated risk. He would turn around and attempt to make conversation. At the very least, he might confuse them enough that he could make a safe getaway. They wouldn't bother chasing a single meerkat when a whole colony was just a few meters away.

At best, he may find that the impossible was only improbable. At worst, he would be dead. At least he would die staring death in the face.

XXX

Shenzi and her friends approached the oblivious lookout cautiously. Shenzi was utterly perplexed by the single lookout looking the wrong way. She thought the meerkats would've doubled their security after what happened last time.

The last time the trio showed up happened to be during a lookout switch. Although the hyenas had caught the colony off guard, they were unable to catch a single morsel. Not that Shenzi was actually attempting to catch any of them.

Although Banzai and Ed put their all into their fruitless hunting, Shenzi knew better than to waste her strength. She figured, if she wanted to, she could easily dig a few of them up. But that would be boring, and the thrill was in the chase.

She and her friends were right behind the lookout, waiting patiently for him to react. He didn't. Banzai and Ed gave her confused looks as to why she wasn't attacking. They were ecstatic about finally finding the dumbest meerkat in the colony.

Shenzi was more cautious than them. She briefly considered the best way to approach the vacant meerkat. She decided to roll her eyes and tap him on the back of his head, throwing caution to the wind. He was a meerkat, there was no way he could do anything.

The meerkat whirled around, but his expression remained bored. "Ah, there you are," he deadpanned. Shenzi raised an eyebrow. What was he thinking?

Timon was panicking internally. He figured if he remained as calm as possible, he might throw the hyenas off. But there was something bothering him. The hyenas should've attacked the moment they saw his back turned. But they didn't. _Something's wrong with that picture,_ he thought.

"You aren't very good at your job, are you? First day?" Shenzi taunted. She had no other response ready. Why wasn't he alerting his colony? Didn't he realize they were in danger?

"Yes, as a matter of fact. This is my first day doing this. Is it that obvious?" Timon replied. _Just keep stalling,_ he thought. The more he talked, the less likely they were to kill him. Hyenas were a lot like lions in that regard. Unless he became annoying, then he would be in trouble.

"Very obvious. You had your back turned," Banzai said. Ed burst out laughing. Banzai let out a small chuckle at what Ed had said. He turned to the meerkat, "You should probably think about finding a new job. You aren't cut out for this one."

"Au contrair, I knew you were here the entire time. I was just waiting for you to grow a pair," Timon said.

Shenzi narrowed her eyes as Banzai burst out, "Why you little piece of shit..." he raged, but was cut off by Shenzi.

"Cram it, Banzai. Take Ed and see if you can't rustle something up," she commanded. It was rare she gave orders to her friends, but she phrased them more like she was asking for a favor.

"You're the boss," Banzai chuckled as he and Ed walked around the strange meerkat. It was about damn time he got to chase after some prey.

"I doubt they'll be able to catch anything," Timon said.

"It doesn't matter," Shenzi replied, "I'm more interested in why a meerkat would turn his back to a trio of highly dangerous predators, especially if he knew they were there."

"I doubt you'd understand," Timon sighed.

"Try me," Shenzi growled.

 _Well what do you know? A hyena with brains,_ Timon realized. Shenzi was thinking the exact thing about him. She had seen twigs with more intelligence than some meerkats.

"Alright then," he said. He gestured for her to look over the small edge. He motioned towards the battle happening below, "See those idiots down there?"

"My idiots or your idiots?" Shenzi grinned.

Timon smirked slightly, but replied with, "My idiots. They think that hiding in the ground is the best way to survive. I disagree, so I planned to use you three to force them to change their ideals."

"It sounds like you were trying to manipulate us. Do you _want_ to die?" Shenzi growled. She did not take kindly to being used.

"That was before I knew you could be reasoned with."

"I can, I doubt they would listen to you. What were you planning on having us do?" Shenzi was now curious about the full extend of the meerkat's mental abilities.

"I've been trying to convince them that we need to move farther away from predators, you can obviously see why it is necessary. When I was unable to convince them, I planned to force them to move. I've been weakening the soil for weeks and if you and your friends could just do a little digging, you might be able to catch a few of them."

Shenzi gave him a confused look, "You're willing to sacrifice your family?"

"Necessary losses, my dear. I believe that there is a place, far from here, free from predators such as yourself. I don't want to go alone, you see."

Shenzi dug her claws into the ground as she thought about what the meerkat had said. "I guess the ends justify the means, don't they?" she said. They watched as the last meerkat vanished into a hole.

"Exactly, glad you understand. Now, if you could please instruct your companions to start digging about a meter and a half to the left, they'll find the main complex easily."

Shenzi watched as Banzai snapped his jaws a few times in disappointment. "No," she decided.

"What? Don't you need to eat? I'm offering free food!" Timon cried out.

Shenzi sighed, "You've made a miscalculation. After we leave, you cannot go back to your family. They will know you had abandoned them and they will force you out, alone." She thought for a minute, trying to find someway to hit the idea home with the strange meerkat. "And we both know you don't want to be alone."

Timon's eyes widened in shock. He had made a miscalculation! "B-b-but that's not p-p-possible! I never make a mistake," Timon stuttered. His confidence had shattered.

Shenzi sneered at him, "No one has been sharp enough to catch them, I guess. Now then, why should I keep you alive? You can't go back to your colony after this, it might just be better to _kill_ you."

Timon clenched his fist, "Why are you here? You aren't here to hunt us, I realize that now. Otherwise you would've jumped at my suggestion."

"I'm here on a scouting trip, I'm not here to hunt. But _they_ are. They'd only come if food was a possibility, so why should I not give you to them?" Shenzi asked again.

Timon dropped to his hands and knees. His fear of death was overwhelming him as he begged for his life, "Please don't kill me! I-I-I-" he wracked his mind for reasons why he should live... but he could find none.

Shenzi exhaled slowly and began to circle Timon. "You have committed a grave crime against your own people. You were willing to sacrifice their lives, regardless of the outcome, you are no better than us," Shenzi said to the kneeling meerkat.

Timon raised his head to look into Shenzi's blazing eyes. He had been branded no better than a hyena. It was the ultimate insult to Timon's pride. He doubted he would be able to live with the shame.

"As such," Shenzi continued, "I sentence you to come with us. The atrocity you nearly committed here makes you like us, so you will _live_ like us, _eat_ like us, and you will _die_ like us."

Timon stared at her in shock. He was going to live? Granted, he was going to be living with the hyenas, but it was better than dying. Shenzi stopped circling and leaned down to whisper in Timon's ear, _"_ _For your failure to calculate all the possible outcomes of your plan, you shall stay with us until you understand us."_

Timon briefly considered bolting for it. He could still make it to the burrow... but he had told Shenzi where to dig. He doubted she was hard of hearing. Plus he would still be thrown out of the colony, at least this way he had a home.

 _A home,_ Timon realized. He looked up at Shenzi in a new light. She looked like a benevolent god, she had saved him from being alone. Before him was the only being he had ever encountered that could best his intellect.

Despite his own denial, Timon was extremely lonely. Not a single meerkat liked him, except for Ma. But Timon couldn't talk to Ma, he was too different. Shenzi, on the other hand, was more like him. Perhaps she was lonely like him too...

Although Shenzi's wording made her sentence sound cruel, it was actually a godsend to Timon. Timon realized that he would not be her prisoner. She had said that he would live like them, eat like them, and die like them. In other words, he would live as her friend.

There was no going back, and Timon didn't want to change anything. Even if he did not foresee this outcome, it was definitely more favorable than living with a colony that hated his existence. Shenzi seemed to be the leader, she should be able to protect him from the other hyenas.

He felt like hugging her, but restrained himself. He saw the other two hyenas coming up the ridge to speak to Shenzi.

Banzai had watched Shenzi pace. Even though she looked like she was going in for the kill, Banzai knew better. She circled others when she was nervous. It was a habit only he was aware of. _What could that meerkat possibly do to make her nervous?_ Banzai thought.

Despite what Shenzi believed, he was well aware that he would be unable to catch any of the meerkats. He was also suspicious about the true purpose of these little adventures. Though he didn't dare voice his suspicions to Shenzi, it was better to pretend to be in the dark.

He and Ed walked up the ridge to see the meerkat alive and well. "What's going on?" Banzai asked. Ed garbled something, but neither Banzai nor Shenzi responded to it.

"He's coming with us," Shenzi explained.

"Why?"

"Because I said so," Shenzi finalized. She didn't feel the need to explain herself to Banzai. The trio began to walk away from the colony. "Keep up, if you fall behind, you get left behind," Shenzi called back to Timon.

Banzai pulled up next to Shenzi to ask, "Are you sure this is a good idea? What will the others think?" Although Banzai normally wouldn't dare to assume anything about Shenzi, he was concerned with her well-being.

He did not expect Shenzi to halt and turn on him. "I am the clan _matriarch!_ I can do as I please," she hissed. She pulled away from him and left him frozen in place from shock. She had yelled at him before, but it was usually good-natured yelling. She had never gotten _actually_ angry at him before.

Timon walked next to her after her outburst. He noticed the tension and tried to lighten the mood, "Well, here I go into the lion's den." He jumped when she glared at him, "Or hyena's... hole? I'm not really sure where you all live."

Shenzi sighed, calming down slightly. She was extremely stressed. It looked as if the zebra were going in the wrong direction. She may not be able to feed her clan. "We live in a graveyard," she finally answered.

"Why am I not surprised?" Timon grinned. Shenzi gave no response. They continued walking for several minutes before Timon said, "My name is Timon." He held out a paw for her to shake.

She regarded the paw suspiciously before turning it down. "Right... I'm Shenzi," she said. She pointed to Banzai and Ed in turn, naming them for Timon.

The meerkat nodded and they continued walking again. They didn't get far before Shenzi said, "I'm not calling you that, by the way. I'm just going to call you... Stooge." Timon couldn't get a word in edgewise.

XXX

 **Is this the start of a beautiful... acquaintanceship? I would just like to point out that because Timon left with the hyenas, he never ran into Pumbaa. And thus, Pumbaa isn't really in this story. So how will Shenzi's life change now that she has someone just as intelligent as she is to talk to? Stay tuned to find out!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Gula:

Author's Note:

 **As you all know, I already have a lot of this story done, I've just been editing it vigorously and then posting. As of this moment, there are no pairings in this story (even though I hint at Banzai and Shenzi). I have yet to decide if I want to put one at the end, but if I do, I can assure you it will not be Shenzi and Timon. Since that's settled, we can continue with our story. I wonder how Timon has been spending his time in the graveyard...**

XXX

No light shone in the graveyard. That was the first thing Timon noticed when he and the trio of hyenas made it to their home. That and the unnerving amount of skeletons present in the graveyard. Shenzi had assured him that the hyenas did not kill all of the animals the skeletons belonged to.

Shenzi had said that the graveyard had been here before the hyenas were forced into exile. Something about the light of the Pridelands can only exist with the darkness of the graveyard. Timon didn't know what that meant, and Shenzi was unwilling to elaborate.

The next thing Timon had noticed was the terrible conditions the hyenas lived under. The most major concern was the lack of safe drinking water. There was a single dirty fount in the graveyard. Shenzi had said that the hyenas' strong digestive track took care of most potentially dangerous pathogens, but some hyenas still contracted sickness from the fount. Timon didn't dare test his luck with the fount.

The only clean water source was kilometers away in the Badlands. It was a small watering hole that dried up every few months during the droughts. The only truly consistent water source was located in the Pridelands, which the hyenas were forbidden from entering. And because the hyenas were forbidden, that meant Timon was as well.

The next problem was the lack of food. Shenzi had said that small prey, such as lizards and rodents, had showed up for a brief time after the clan had taken a large hit in their numbers. It did not take long for the prey to vanish. Not even insects lived in the graveyard anymore.

Shenzi had gone out on several hunting trips personally. She allowed Timon to tag along to find his own food. They never came back with much. Timon was thankful that he didn't need to eat that much.

Timon saw how malnourished all of the hyenas were when he was introduced to the clan. He had thought Shenzi and the other two looked fine when they had attacked his family, but now that they were back at the graveyard, Timon could tell that they were too skinny and their eyes were sunken.

But none looked as bad as Shenzi. Timon suspected that she had been giving up her own food for the benefit of her clan. A noble gesture, no doubt, but it confused Timon to no end. What was worse? Having a few clan members die or losing your strong leader?

Timon's introduction to the clan had gone quite well. He had thought that there would've been a public outburst and Shenzi's position as matriarch might be challenged. But the clan had reluctantly accepted Timon's presence. Shenzi had claimed that she was still the matriarch. Timon wasn't sure what she meant by _still._

It had been three weeks since Timon had arrived at the graveyard. Besides the food and water problems, and the unpleasant atmosphere, he and Shenzi had been getting along quite well. They were both just happy to have someone to talk to. Timon was no longer alone and Shenzi had found someone who could keep up with her intelligence.

It had all started after a particular argument about the structural integrity of the elephant skull Shenzi called home. Timon had accidentally caused a part of the skull to break and he fell five feet to the ground. Timon had argued that they should try and find a more stable home, Shenzi had vehemently refused.

It had become their favorite pastime of theirs afterwards. Calm debates that had only once escalated into a full-blown shouting match. They would both present their sides of the argument before attempting to tear down their opponent's. They would argue passionately until Timon gave up. Shenzi had never yielded once, she won every single match.

Banzai had called it pointless drabble. Shenzi had claimed that he was just hungry. Ed could only laugh.

Timon had found it particularly challenging to connect with Banzai. He didn't quite understand why Shenzi had allowed Timon to live. Banzai had never made attempt on his life, which was a relief to Timon. But Timon knew the real reason Banzai hated him.

Timon did not pretend to know everything about hyenas, but he was quickly learning thanks to Shenzi. She had explained that she was still un-mated. It was clear that Banzai was becoming aggravated about Shenzi's reluctance to find one.

Banzai was clearly angry with his own inability to connect with Shenzi as well as Timon had. Timon suspected Shenzi was fully aware of Banzai's affections, but chose not to act on them. She was adamant that the clan came first. Timon decided against delving deeper into their relationship.

Suddenly, Timon's vision was blocked by the hard ground. Shenzi had snuck up behind him and pushed him over. "What was that for?" he asked, snapping out of his daze.

"I need your help with something, Stooge," Shenzi smirked slightly. Timon hated that nickname. She was fully aware of what his name was, but chose to call him something else. It showed that she didn't consider him an equal, which only insulted him.

He retaliated by calling her Shenzi Marie. Which she despised as much as he did Stooge. It had taken days of coaxing until Banzai finally slipped up and told Timon what Shenzi's full name was. And it was a mouthful, but he had determined that Shenzi Marie got the job done.

"I'm not sweeping the skull again," Timon sighed.

Shenzi rolled her eyes. She had forced him to sweep out their sleeping space one night when she had saved him from drinking poisonous water. _Now we're even,_ Shenzi had said. "You really need to stop complaining... I just want some company while I go out on a scouting trip."

"Oh," Timon perked up. He actually enjoyed going on scouting trips with Shenzi. It got him out of the stuffy graveyard _and_ away from Banzai's indignant looks. "I'll just get the canteen."

After they had realized Timon could not drink the water in the graveyard, Shenzi had helped him design and fashion a water-tight storage system out of leaves. It worked spectacularly, but didn't hold enough water to quench the thirst of anyone except Timon. And it had to be refilled weekly, which Timon didn't mind. Because it gave him an excuse to leave the graveyard.

And Shenzi usually went with him. She had claimed that she used the time to scout for proper prey, but Timon had never seen any. Timon believed that she just wanted to make sure he was safe. Although she insulted him with the nickname, her actions said the opposite. And actions speak louder than words.

XXX

The trek through the Badlands was slow. Neither Shenzi nor Timon were in a rush, they were actually lost in conversation. Neither were paying attention to their surroundings, but caution was not necessary. The mere sight of Shenzi sent everything else fleeing in the other direction.

"I'm not sure why you are so adamant against it, they're delicious!" Timon said, picking up a colorful bug off of the ground and biting into it.

"Perhaps because _I'm a hyena?_ What would the clan think of me if I started eating insects?" Shenzi argued.

"Do you really care what they think? They're idiots!" Timon shouted. "The only opinions you should respect are the ones coming from beings that are as intelligent as you."

"Like yours?" Shenzi sneered, bending down to his level.

"Well... I only implied that," Timon admitted. Shenzi burst out laughing. "Come on, just try one," Timon begged.

Shenzi looked nervous as Timon swiped up another colorful insect off of the ground. "What do they taste like?"

Timon smiled, "Slimy, yet satisfying." He held the insect out for her to take, but noticed her apprehension. "Look, insects are basically one hundred percent protein. Their actually very healthy, and I would actually recommend having your hunting parties collect some on their way back. It's better than anything else you'll find out here."

Shenzi narrowed her eyes, "Is this just a way for us to gather food for you so you don't have to do any work?"

"No..."

Shenzi swiped the insect from his paw with a huff, "Fine then." She stared at the struggling bug for a moment before turning to Timon. He only gave her a reassuring look. Sighing, she threw the insect into her maw and clamped it down quickly.

She chewed it for a moment before swallowing. "Hmm... slimy, yet satisfying," she mumbled. She glared at Timon's knowing smile before forging onward. Neither of them had realized that they had stopped moving.

"Hey, that means that I win this one, right?" Timon smirked.

"No," was Shenzi's simple answer.

"Alright," Timon deadpanned. He pretended to sulk by walking with his head down. He was stopped when he bumped into Shenzi's stopped form. "What's wrong?"

"Look over there," she whispered. Timon followed her pointing claw. There, before his eyes, was the herd of zebras Shenzi had claimed she was tracking.

The herd was at least a hundred members strong. They were moving slowly, taking time to graze on their way. Shenzi's sharp eyes immediately scanned the herd. She looked for weaknesses, young, the zebras that were keeping watch, and their general direction.

Shenzi began to dig her claws in the dirt, dragging them around in odd patterns. Timon peeked around her side to look at what she was doing. He saw the strange patterns and was unable to ascertain exactly what they were. "What are you drawing?" he asked.

"Probable trajectory paths... seventy-eight percent in that direction," she mumbled. "Fifteen foals, three elderly. Twenty hyenas make five groups of four. That'll work."

Timon raised an eyebrow, "What are you going on about?"

"They're headed in the right direction! We have to alert the clan," she said quickly. She turned tail and practically ran towards the graveyard.

"Hey! Wait a minute! Where are you going?" Timon shouted as he ran after her. The distance between them was increasing exponentially. He did not have long enough legs to keep up with her.

"We only have an hour before they cross the border, I have to get the hunting parties ready!" she yelled out. She increased her speed even more, leaving Timon in the dust.

"... But what about my canteen?" Timon mumbled, slowing down. It did not take long for him to come to a complete stop, breathing heavily. _I guess I'll just wait here for her,_ he figured.

XXX

Shenzi stood on a small outcrop along with nineteen of her clanmates. And Timon. It only took a few minutes for the small herd of zebras to come into view. "Alright, here's what's going to happen. Myself, Banzai, Ed, Zuri, and Mwashi will lead the attack, everyone else, split into groups of three and follow one of us. Each group is responsible for taking down at least one zebra."

The clan nodded and followed her directions. Shenzi stood at the front, flanked by her friends and the last two capable female hyenas in the clan. The rest lined up behind them in groups of three. "Let's go," Shenzi commanded, slinking her way down the small hill. The others followed suit, trying to be as stealthy as possible.

Timon watched from a distance. He was amazed at how easily Shenzi had picked out the clan's targets from so far away. The clan got within ten meters of the herd before they began to panic. The herd scattered and the groups of hyenas chased down their targets.

The hyenas chased their prey laughing and yipping in glee, but not Shenzi. She had an intense look of concentration on her face as she over took her target. She leapt from the ground, attaching herself to the victim's neck while her group bit at its legs.

It did not take long for the zebra to fall to the ground. Shenzi strengthened her grip on the victim's neck and quickly increased pressure. There was an audible snapping sound as Shenzi broke the zebra's neck.

Timon watched in a mix of fascination and horror, completely mesmerized by Shenzi. Her eyes blazed with a primal fire and a wicked grin spilled over her features. She lost herself in the hunt and let out a hollow chuckle that escalated into full-blown laughter as blood dribbled from her jaw.

Shenzi couldn't help herself. It felt _so good_ to finally hunt something. It had been over three months since the clan had real food. And now they had enough to last them a few days.

A scowl quickly covered her elated expression. She grimaced as she reigned her emotions in. Although each group had made their kill, it wouldn't be long until they were starving again. And this particular herd was going to avoid the Badlands like the plague for several seasons.

This minor victory did not help her current moral conundrum. In fact, it made it worse. The hyenas now had a taste of what Scar was promising them. The clan would become insatiable, they would begin to believe that they _needed_ to get into the Pridelands. And it would only make it easier for Scar to wrest control from her.

Shenzi allowed her clanmates to drag the zebra back to the graveyard while she approached Timon. He gave her a concerned look and asked, "Are you alright?"

"Not anymore," Shenzi replied and continued walking. She hung her head in defeat.

"What does that mean?" Timon said, exasperated as he threw his hands up in the air.

"Nothing that you need to know."

Timon watched as the corpses were piled in the center of the main clan gathering area. Their arduous journey now over, the clan prepared to eat. Shenzi stepped forward to eat first, and her clanmates waited respectfully for her to finish.

She didn't eat much, slightly concerning Timon. She took a few large bites before tearing off a hind leg from one of the corpses. She motioned for Timon to follow as she descended into one of the burrows.

The moment Shenzi left, the rest of the clan practically threw themselves at the corpses. The two remaining alpha females that had accompanied Shenzi on the hunt ate first, followed by the males who had also went on the hunt. After that, it was a free-for-all as the other sixty clan members dug into the deceased zebras.

Timon had followed Shenzi into the burrow and noticed that they were not alone. There was a single aging female hyena present as well. Shenzi touched her nose respectfully to the ground. When she noticed Timon wasn't following her lead, she shoved his nose to the dirt.

"Ah, matriarch. I take it you finally caught something?" the elder hyena said. Timon noticed when he looked up that her pelt was significantly more gray than Shenzi's and her eyes were glassy. Timon realized that she was blind.

"That is correct, Busara. I have brought you food," Shenzi said. She pushed the hunk of flesh towards the aging female. Busara snapped into the leg and tore off a piece of meat.

"About damn time!" she said while chewing. "I thought you were just going to let me starve in this hole."

"Charming," Timon mumbled.

"I heard that," Busara growled.

"Be quiet!" Shenzi hissed, "Busara is our oldest clan member. Although she is blind and not able to hunt, her wisdom is absolute."

"Shenzi, dear," the old hyena said with false sweetness, "Who's voice am I hearing? I do not recognize it."

Shenzi froze for a moment, carefully considering her words, "This is Timon, he is..." she was unable to finish her sentence.

"A meerkat, isn't he?" Busara asked menacingly.

"Yes, he is," Shenzi confirmed. She stood up and Timon did the same. She squared her shoulders and tried to give off a vibe of confidence.

Busara was quiet for a moment. "I never thought that I would hear the day..." she began, "When a hyena would allow a meerkat to live. I am fully aware that you can make your own decisions, dear matriarch, but tell me this: what does he mean to you?"

"I..." Shenzi began, but was interrupted by someone outside of the burrow shouting.

"Scar's here! Scar's here!" the voice echoed throughout the chamber. Shenzi sighed and didn't finish answering Busara. She turned and left the burrow, Timon on her heels. But the unanswered question still hung in the air.

The moment she saw Scar sauntering into the gathering hollow, Shenzi turned to Timon and hissed, " _Hide!_ " Timon didn't have time to ask why before he was shoved behind a rock.

"Scar, I didn't expect to see you today," Shenzi said, approaching the lion. The other hyenas stepped away from the corpses and climbed onto the hollow's walls. They sat on small ledges that looked like pews and observed their matriarch speaking to their favorite ally.

"You make it sound like you don't want me here," Scar said silkily. His gaze passed over Timon's hiding location. Timon immediately ducked back behind the rock before he was spotted. Now he understood why the lion was called Scar.

"I hope you didn't cross the border to get them," Scar said, faking concern.

"I managed to catch them before they made it over the border," Shenzi replied.

"How lucky," Scar said darkly, "Here I was thinking it was about time I brought over more food." Although the hyenas did a lot of hunting, the majority of the food they got came from Scar. Shenzi knew that it was only to appease her clanmates, slowly turning them against her.

"What do you want, Scar?" Shenzi demanded. Timon noticed that the two seemed to be engaged in a strange dance, neither willing to attack. Scar could easily strike Shenzi down, but he'd lose the clan's approval, and Shenzi could easily denounce Scar, but that would cause a split in the clan.

"Don't sound so hostile, we both know those zebras will only last a few days," he leaned in closer to whisper to her, quiet enough that the clan couldn't hear, but Timon was close enough to catch most of it. _"_ _My plan is still your only way into the Pridelands."_

 _"_ _I just can't think of one that doesn't need you in it,"_ Shenzi hissed back. The several of her clanmates chuckled. It wasn't everyday that their dear matriarch became flustered.

Scar smirked widely, "Well, I'll let you all return to your feast." He began to exit the hollow and head back to the Pridelands, but he halted and said without turning around, "Oh, and before I forget. Tomorrow's the big day, so prepare yourselves!"

The clan was quiet until Scar had left. They burst out into loud cheers and applause. Timon watched their celebration for a moment before walking up beside the paralyzed Shenzi. "What's this all about?"

"Come," she said as she began to walk away from the celebrating hyenas. Banzai and Ed caught up to her quickly.

"Are you sure you ate enough?" Banzai asked. Ed garbled out something that seemed to echo Banzai's concerns.

"I'm fine," Shenzi growled, "Just prepare yourselves for tomorrow." The two hyenas looked at each other and nodded. Grins spread across their faces as they retreated into the skull they called home.

XXX

Apparently, preparing for tomorrow meant sleeping the rest of the day away. Banzai and Ed had both collapsed the moment they entered the skull. Although they were weary from the hunt, sleep did not come easily for them. They had rolled around for nearly half an hour before sleep finally consumed them.

Shenzi had pretended to do the same. The moment Banzai stopped shifting and Ed started snoring, she stood up and padded out of the skull. Timon, who was not tired and thus unable to sleep, followed her.

She carefully and quietly climbed to the top of the skull and lied down. Timon made his way up and sat next to her. Neither made any attempt to recognize the other's presence. They just stared out across the graveyard and into the Pridelands. They were high enough up that they could get a glimpse of Pride Rock.

"I wonder what stars look like," Shenzi muttered. Because of the permanent cloud of darkness overhanging the graveyard, not a single star shone in the sky. Even when Shenzi left the graveyard, it seemed as if that cloud followed her just to blot out the light. As if she was undeserving of it.

She often pondered if she left the clan, would the darkness leave them and follow her? Perhaps she was the only one with this curse, and by remaining with the clan, she was dragging them down with her.

"Stars aren't anything special," Timon shrugged, "They're just little sparkly dots in the sky. They only hold meaning if you give it to them." In truth, Timon missed the light. As he rarely left Shenzi's side, he rarely felt its presence.

Shenzi chuckled slightly at Timon's attempt to cheer her up. And she went silent again afterwards. This time neither spoke for over an hour. The first thing Timon had learned from Shenzi was patience. She was always careful to calculate every outcome.

"Do you think me to be a monster?" Shenzi asked out of the blue. She continued to stare straight ahead, even though Timon turned his gaze towards her.

"I... don't understand," he admitted.

She finally tore her eyes away from the Pridelands and looked at Timon. He saw her hollow eyes and knew that this was important to her. "Don't lie to me," she commanded.

"I certainly hope you aren't a monster," Timon laughed, "That would make me one too!"

Shenzi sighed in disappointment, "I'm not talking about hyenas in general. I'm talking about me, just me."

"Surely you can't be more of a monster than Ed or Banzai," Timon replied.

She chuckled sadly, "Can't I? What is more monstrous: Someone who is evil and cannot change or someone who knows that she is evil and refuses to change?" She growled and stood, shifting slightly so Timon fell to his side. He had been leaning on her.

"I don't think..." Timon started but stopped.

" **Answer me!** " Shenzi roared, before slapping her paw over her mouth. Awareness crept back into her eyes as she slumped back down.

Timon hesitated before finally saying, "I like to believe that good and evil don't exist, but thinking makes it so. The fact that you can determine your own actions to be such means that you are special, Shenzi... don't let it consume you," Timon warned.

"I know that evil exists, though," Shenzi chuckled darkly, "Scar is pure evil, and so am I for following him."

"Yeah, about that Scar character. What's his deal?" he asked.

"He's promised us access to the Pridelands on one condition. We have to make him king."

"Oh, that's not that bad..."

"We have to kill the current king and his son!" Shenzi snapped.

Timon thought it over carefully. "Then don't. How trustworthy is Scar anyways?"

Shenzi laughed bitterly, "It's not that simple. I have... known... Scar for longer than I wish to admit. And he has never broken a single promise. His word is good. And I can think of no other way into the Pridelands."

She paused for a moment, but eventually continued, "And it's not like I won't kill Mufasa. I'd personally like to tear his head off and mount it on one of the skull's tusks!" Timon cringed at her violent rhetoric. "But I don't want to kill an innocent cub."

She looked downcast for a moment. She was revealing her weakness to a meerkat of all things. _But he's different,_ Shenzi sighed to herself, _he is the only one who won't judge me for it._

"Shenzi, you are, without a doubt, the most intelligent creature I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. If anyone can find a way out of your clan's predicament, it's you... but just know that sometimes opportunities only present themselves in the moment," Timon explained.

Shenzi sniffed slightly, doing her best not to cry in front of the meerkat... that was the one thing she would not allow herself to do. "And I think that the very fact that you're willing to show restraint means that you aren't a monster. A monster would just slaughter her way through the crowd without a second glance. You always take the time to think things through... it's not bad to have a heart, Shenzi," Timon continued.

"Thank you..." she said, gaining control of herself once again. She knew what must be done. She would go through with Scar's plan until she can find a loophole. And then she'll take control of the show.

"Oh," Shenzi said, causing Timon to return his attention to her, "Don't you dare breath a word of this to anyone! Do you understand? _Nobody!"_ she hissed.

Timon held his hands up, "My lips are sealed. Besides, if I ran around the clan shouting about you having emotions, they'd call me a loon!" Shenzi chuckled slightly and shifted again, causing Timon to fall over once more.

They sat in silence, enjoying the tranquility until Timon said, "Hey, I won this one, right?"

"Yeah..." Shenzi finally admitted. Timon felt his heart soar as he resisted the urge to pump his fist in the air in jubilation... and maybe do a dance. "Ya did good, Stooge," Shenzi smirked, causing Timon to come crashing down once again.

She had to resort to the nickname, didn't she?

XXX

 **There we go! Another one down. Let's go a little deeper into the three OC's that I used. Busara is the oldest member in the clan. She was born before their exile into the graveyard, but that'll be important later. Her name means wise. The other two OC's are Zuri and Mwashi. They are twin sisters, and directly related to Busara. They are a year younger than Shenzi, but they'll be more important later. Which is exactly why I am refraining from translating their names (it'll be important later). Anyways, next chapter happens when Simba, Nala, and Zazu enter the graveyard. I wonder how it will play out... Stay tuned for next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Misericordia:

Author's Note:

 **And I'm back. For those few of you wondering where I was, I had put this story on hiatus while trying to finish my Jurassic World story, Tedium. Now that it's finished (and I've found the necessary motivation to continue this one) I'm back. Continuing where we left off, Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed lie in wait for Simba to fall into the graveyard. Will Shenzi slay him? Or will he escape? Please, enjoy!**

XXX

Shenzi silenced Ed and Banzai for what seemed like the millionth time. They had been chattering in excitement since they settled down in their hiding spot three hours ago. Scar had never given them a specific time frame for when Simba was supposed to show up, so Shenzi had found a good place to hide the moment her internal clock said it was dawn.

Not that she had ever seen dawn before, she instinctively knew when it was. She let out a loud sigh as Ed started laughing insanely again. Banzai mumbled something to himself before he smacked Ed, telling him to be quiet. _This is how it starts,_ Shenzi rolled her eyes as Ed turned on Banzai immediately.

Ed growled something incomprehensible to even Shenzi, though Banzai took it as a threat. As he always did. "Oi, you flea-bitten mutt, Shenzi said to shut the fuck up!" Banzai growled. _At least he's trying to follow orders,_ Shenzi sighed as Ed pounced on him and the two rolled around on the ground, scratching and biting at each other.

Shenzi's ears perked up when she heard something tumble down a hull and land hard on the ground. _"Silence, they're here!"_ she hissed at the two. They halted immediately and stood next to her, crouched in the shadows of a large skull. She could see a male and female lion cub walk over to the skull they were hiding in. They were completely unaware of the hyena's presence.

Shenzi watched as a bird flew around Simba and started to lecture him on the dangers of the graveyard. _If only he knew,_ Shenzi snickered to herself, but quickly covered her mouth. She didn't want to reveal themselves… not yet.

Simba completely ignored the bird and approached the massive elephant skull talking about his lack of fear. "Danger? Ha! I walk on the wild side, I laugh in the face of danger," the young cub smirked, turning his back to the skull. He let out a loud laugh.

Shenzi took this as her cue. She echoed his laugh, a bone-chilling, nightmare haunting, eerie laugh that Banzai and Ed backed up as she and her companions descended the large skull. "Well, well, well Banzai, what have we got here?" she said smoothly, as if rehearsing a line.

Banzai, going along with the joke, responded immediately, "Hmm, I don't know Shenzi. What do you think, Ed?" Ed let out an insane cackle as the trio approached the lion cubs and the bird. "Yeah, just what I was thinkin'. A trio of trespassers!" Banzai growled out.

"And quite by accident, let me assure you," the bird said nervously. "A simple navigational error," he continued as he tried to push the cubs away from the dangerous predators.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, wait, wait, I know you," Shenzi smirked, stepping on his tail, and leaning down so she was on level with the terrified bird. "You're Mufasa's little _stooge_."

"I, madam, am the king's major domo," he said proudly, infuriating Shenzi. _How can he be so smug in this situation?_ she growled to herself. The trio of hyenas surrounded and began to circle the Pridelanders.

"And that makes you…" Banzai grinned and trailed off when addressing Simba.

"The future king!" he said proudly. _Is this cub an idiot?_ Shenzi sighed internally, but kept circling.

"Do you know what we do with kings who step out of their kingdoms?" Shenzi asked. Honestly, they did nothing. They had never had royalty step into their kingdom before, this was a new experience for her.

Simba scoffed, "You can't do anything to me." Shenzi rolled her eyes, _he thinks he's invincible!_

"Actually they can… we are on their land," the bird said, placing the tips of his wing feathers together in a nervous gesture. But Simba still didn't comprehend the danger they were in. _Yup, he's just an idiot,_ Shenzi decided as Simba leaned closer to the bird to whisper something to him.

"But Zazu, you told me that they're nothing but slobbering, mangy, stupid poachers," he said loud enough so the trio could hear. _That's it, he's dead,_ Shenzi decided.

"Ix-nay on the upid-stay," Zazu muttered.

"Who you callin' upid-stay?" Banzai growled, nearly snapping the bird in half from his anger. Shenzi chuckled internally, Banzai always was good at pig-latin.

"My, my, my, look at the sun! Oh, it's time to go!" Zazu said, pushing the cubs out of the circle of hyenas and towards the Pridelands. They didn't get far.

Shenzi broke formation and blocked their path. "What's the hurry? We'd _love_ you to stick around for dinner," a feral grin spread across her face as she forced the group back.

"Yeah… we could have whatever's _lion_ around!" Banzai joked and burst out laughing.

Shenzi noticed the group sneaking off in the corner of her eye, but decided to give them a head start. _Remember what Timon said,_ she hissed to herself. So she played along, "Wait, wait, wait, I've got one, I've got one, make mine a _cub_ sandwich. What'd you think?" she burst out in forced laughter alongside Banzai.

Ed popped up between the two laughing hyenas and began to point and garble something. "What, Ed?" Shenzi asked, "What is it?"

"Hey, did we order this dinner to go?" Banzai asked when he noticed what Ed was pointing at.

"No, why?" Shenzi said calmly, fully aware of the escaping trio. They weren't far enough to save themselves.

"'Cause there it goes!" Banzai called out, drawing her attention completely to the fleeing group. Banzai and Ed immediately gave chase, but Shenzi hesitated. _They're running in the wrong fucking direction,_ she sighed to herself. Well if they wanted to die…

The trio easily caught up to Zazu, who was lagging behind the panting cubs. Shenzi briefly considered that he was just a diversion to let the cubs escape, but she decided that none of them were smart enough to come up with that plan. Banzai reached out and grabbed ahold of Zazu's tail and yanked him away.

Banzai brought him to a smallish geyser that casted the area around them in a red light. She let out a hollow chuckle alongside the other two's loud laughter as Banzai held Zazu like he was a puppeteer and the bird was his marionette. "And the little major domo bird hippidy-hopped all the way to the birdie boiler," Banzai narrated as he shoved Zazu into the geyser.

"Oh no, not the birdie boiler!" the bird cried out as the geyser launched him high into the sky. Shenzi burst out laughing, she just couldn't contain herself in this situation. It was far too much fun.

"Hey!" a voice cut through the laughter. _There's no way he was stupid enough to come back…_ Shenzi thought to herself as she turned slightly to be proven wrong. Simba stood on a small pile of bones overlooking the trio of hyenas. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

"Like… _you?_ " Shenzi smirked. She was actually twice her size, but there were two of them, so she considered it even. She leapt at them, snapping her jaws as she did. Simba realized his mistake and backpedaled to escape a bloody fate.

The two cubs ran towards freedom, but were halted by the eruption of a geyser. The hyenas appeared on the other side of the geyser and shouted in unison, "BOO!" They leaned through the hot steam, Shenzi doing her best to ignore the heat, and snapped at the duo.

The cubs managed to escape once again. This time they ran towards the large skull the hyenas had hidden themselves in. They scaled the skull, dodging a dogged Banzai snapping at them, and slid themselves down the dead beast's spine. The makeshift slide launched the duo into a huge pile of bones, which they started to climb.

Simba seemed to be having an easy time, but the female he was with got herself stuck. Seeing an opportunity, Shenzi dashed towards the female, intent on killing her. She didn't see Simba come to the other cub's rescue, but she felt him rake his sharp claws into her cheek. She growled in anger, bringing a paw up to the bloody marks as the cubs ran.

She gave chase, her blood-rage cloaking her vision in red. Banzai and Ed pulled up next to her, concerned looks on their faces. She growled, "I'm fine," before outpacing them. The cubs were running into a dead end. She had won.

The cubs came to a stop at a massive wall. They turned to see the hyenas slow in their approach, savoring their victory. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty," Banzai taunted followed by a hollow laugh.

Simba did the only thing he could think of. He roared. It was a pathetic roar at best, but it gave the hyenas pause. But Shenzi recovered quickly. She chuckled and said, "That was it? Do it again, come on." She and her companions inched ever closer as Simba sucked in a deep breath.

The sound that left his maw was not his own. Shenzi froze with a word of confusion leaving her lips. Then she felt something strike her head, throwing her aside. It was Mufasa who had roared. It was Mufasa who was tossing them aside like some sort of insect. Even in the perpetual darkness of the graveyard, divine light seemed to shine down upon him, illuminating his grandeur as he threw Ed from his back.

Mufasa roared again and pinned the trio beneath him. Banzai and Ed began to stutter out apologies, but Shenzi took the time to clear her head. The blood-rage had faded and fear had set in. But soon she forced the fear from her mind as Mufasa roared, " **SILENCE!** "

The other two hyenas were reduced to a blubbering mess, but Shenzi remained silent. "If you _ever_ come near my son again," the king let the threat hang in the air for a moment as the other two hyenas whimpered in defeat.

But Shenzi spoke out, "Wait, wait, wait, hold on a moment. _He_ came to _us_."

"Silence!" Mufasa growled out.

"I don't think you have any authority here, _my liege_ ," she hissed, her yellow eyes glaring into his soul. "You lost the right for _any_ hyena to call you king when you **banished** us to this _hell!_ "

Mufasa looked confused for a moment, but he did not let her up. "Hey, yeah, we ain't your subjects!" Banzai said, Ed nodded vigorously beside Shenzi.

"You're on _our_ turf now, my liege," she said mockingly, "Now, let your matriarch **UP!** " she commanded. Mufasa, in his surprise backed away from the furious Shenzi. She stood along with her companions and quickly surrounded the defeated king.

"Your son is a trespasser! We have a right to execute trespassers, don't we? _You_ certainly think so," she hissed as she faced Mufasa. Ed and Banzai had flanked him, effectively trapping him. Mufasa had caught them off-guard when he defeated them, but he would still likely win face-to-face. However, with two hyenas behind him and Shenzi, the clan matriarch, to his front… his chances weren't looking so good.

"Hey… isn't he the trespasser now?" Banzai pointed out.

Shenzi let out a hollow giggle, her laugh echoing off of the walls. "That's right! _You're a trespasser now, my liege_ ," she hissed. She sat up straight, "And I'm afraid that's the death penalty for you."

Mufasa stared at the hyena who had threatened him and his son. The hyena that was currently staring at him like he was a cornered field mouse. And he did feel cornered. Although he didn't doubt if he attacked now, he may be able to slay the matriarch, but the other two would be quick to finish him off. And, when he strained his ears, he could hear the rest of the clan laughing loudly as they waited for the order to close in.

"But I'm feeling merciful today, Mufasa," Shenzi said. Mufasa gave her a hopeful look, but Banzai gave her a confused one. She ignored his look and continued to grin at Mufasa. "Bow down to your matriarch, Mufasa, and I will spare you," she commanded.

Mufasa looked stunned as he reconsidered his options. He was becoming less and less sure of himself. Now he no longer thought that he could even kill one of the three hyenas. It was either bend a knee to the hyena… or die trying to remain a ruler.

In the end, he knelt down to Shenzi. To Shenzi, he was simply respecting her, but she knew that as a lion, he was proving himself subservient to her. She loved it. She laughed loudly and leaned down to the bowing Mufasa, "Now, say my name. Proclaim me your matriarch and I'll consider sparing your major domo."

Mufasa looked up at her grinning face, shock written all over his features. "I never said I'd let them go," Shenzi grinned. "By all means, walk out of here a free lion, Mufasa, but they stay and die unless you do as I say." Then she licked him, her tongue slowly passing from his nose to his mane. She let out an insane cackle and stepped back, waiting to see what Mufasa would do.

He breathed heavily as he looked back down at the ground, trying to comprehend what had happened to him. "My… matriarch… Shenzi," he eventually ground out. He did his best to continue to sound composed, for the sake of his son. He didn't want the future king see his father being weak.

Shenzi nodded and grinned maliciously. She sucked in a breath of air, breathing in the scent of defeat from her foe. The light that had once shone down on him had been extinguished. Shenzi wondered for a moment if the darkness would follow him forever now, like it did to her. "Alright, take the bird and the girl and go… but I'm afraid your son must die. He is still a trespasser and somehow, I think this was all _his_ idea," she said softly, a stark contrast to the insane grin on her face.

Banzai and Ed only stared at her as she ordered the king of Pride Rock around like he was just a lowly beta male. Mufasa rose quickly and cried out, "Please no! Take Nala instead!" he begged.

"My liege!" Zazu cried out, shocked that he would be willing to sacrifice Nala.

"Dad?" Simba said at the same time as Zazu, appalled that he would give up Nala. Wasn't a king supposed to protect all of his subjects equally? Wasn't a king supposed to care for each of them as if they were his own son or daughter? Shouldn't Nala be on equal footing with Simba in Mufasa's mind?

"I'm sorry Nala… Simba is my son. I can't…" he stuttered and trailed off. Shenzi cackled again, _I've got him right where I want him._

"Alright Mufasa, I'll make you a deal. You take the bird and the girl and leave. The boy stays with me. He will live with us for ten days and at the end of the ten days we will meet on the border of the graveyard and the Pridelands and we _will_ negotiate a peace treaty. If not, we'll take him back for another ten days and try again," she smirked.

It was perfect. Not only did it grant her access to the Pridelands, but it also undermined Scar. Simba was an important bargaining chip and by holding him for ten days it would make Mufasa desperate for a deal, Shenzi would be able to get whatever she wanted from him. And she wouldn't have to kill either of them.

"But!" she said before Mufasa could decide, "If I see _any_ lion near the border I will not _hesitate_ to slay your son! And if he tries to escape… well, I don't have to repeat myself, **do I**?"

Mufasa realized what she actually wanted. And he understood that he had no choice, but he was still hesitant to agree to anything. "Dad, it's okay… I'll do it," Simba said, walking up next to his father.

"Simba…" Mufasa trailed off.

"Silence!" Shenzi commanded, immediately quieting Mufasa. "So we are in agreement then?"

"Yes… I will leave my son with you hyenas…" Mufasa was interrupted by Shenzi.

"You will address me as _matriarch!_ " she snarled.

Mufasa was quick to correct himself, "I will leave my son with you, matriarch. And we will meet again ten days from now on the border."

"Alone," Shenzi said, "Just you and I… and Simba." Mufasa nodded, knowing that she would not even bother to come near the border if she saw the entire pride behind him. "We will accompany you to the border, and let you say your goodbyes."

XXX

She gave Mufasa and Simba plenty of time to say goodbye. Too much time, in her opinion, but she couldn't bring herself to tear them apart. Finally, Simba trotted over to her side as Mufasa crossed the border.

"Don't do anything stupid," Mufasa warned his son. Simba nodded somberly as he watched his father walk away, his tail dangling low. Shenzi smirked as Mufasa left, victory welling in her chest.

Finally, the king was gone and it was just Simba and the hyenas. He shivered slightly as his current predicament dawned on him. He was a prisoner to hyenas. The beings he had been taught were nothing more than savage murderers. But he would endure… for his father's sake.

Shenzi let loose a deep sigh, "Well that went better than expected." She wiped her forehead and yawned, "Let's go home."

"This is what you planned from the beginning, isn't it?" Banzai asked, pulling up next to her. He took a moment to glare at Simba, yet another annoyance Shenzi had picked up. Timon was bad enough, but now he had to deal with this little rat. Scar wasn't going to like this.

"Not exactly. It was one of the many contingencies I had thought of, yes, but it relied on Mufasa letting us up," she admitted.

"You knew Mufasa was going to come for us?" Banzai growled.

She turned on him, silencing the growl in his throat. He often forgot that she was his matriarch as much as she was any other hyena's… growling at her would get him nowhere. "Why else would I let the bird go? Why else would I let them get a head start?" she hissed.

Simba watched the exchange with wide eyes. Shenzi was terrifying and clearly quick to anger. "I'm sorry…" Banzai said. "I had just thought that Sc…" Shenzi nudged him before he could say the lion's name. "I thought we were going to kill him, is all."

"Sometimes death is not necessary to achieve one's goals," Shenzi sighed as they approached the skull she and her friends slept in. Timon came running out of the skull when he heard the hyenas approaching. Shenzi partially blocked his view of Simba.

He noticed the scars on Shenzi's face that had yet to stop bleeding. "Oh god! You killed him, didn't you?" he cried out dramatically. He had thought that she was at least going to try and find another solution.

Shenzi raised an eyebrow and stepped aside, "He's right here." His eyes widened almost comically when he saw the lion standing next to Shenzi. And he looked surprisingly calm, considering it all.

"What is he doing here?" Timon asked. Shenzi just grinned and he shook his head, "I don't want to know, do I?"

"You will, but that's a matter for later," Shenzi explained. Timon nodded in understanding and Simba finally said something.

"Who are you?" he said.

"Me? I'm Tim…" he was cut off by Shenzi before he could finish.

"Stooge," she grinned at him. His eye twitched as he crossed his arms and tapped his foot against the ground in annoyance.

"Don't listen to Shenzi Marie. Please, call me Timon," he begged. Simba just nodded suspiciously.

"Why are you here?" the lion cub asked.

Timon smirked and walked over to Shenzi, "Because I've fallen irrevocably in love with Shenzi Marie here." He latched himself onto her leg in a mock hug.

Shenzi reacted immediately by shaking him off, "Eww man, that violates _so_ many laws of nature." Timon burst into laughter, but Shenzi just glared at him. "You're just a snack I've been saving for later," she grinned at him.

Timon clutched his heart like he had been stabbed, "O cruel fate! Is this how I am to end? Reduced to a mere snack?"

"Yes," Shenzi said simply, snickering slightly. Simba just stared at the oddest duo he had ever come across. Now he wasn't sure _what_ to think. Was he supposed to be scared? Or was he supposed to be relaxed? Eventually Shenzi sighed, "Look, we're leaving the cub here with you. I have to go and address the clan and tell them the change in plan."

"I thought you said I would be by your side the entire time!" Simba said. He didn't want her to void the deal and kill him because she refused to follow one of her own rules.

"Do as I say, kid. I'm not _that_ heartless," she grinned and walked away, Banzai and Ed in tow. Timon and Simba watched the trio leave.

"So you're a prisoner?" Simba asked after the hyenas had disappeared from sight. "Like me," he continued, looking down at his paws.

"This ain't exactly paradise, kid, but it ain't a prison. Shenzi's not exactly the greatest roommate, but she's not a warden. It could be worse," Timon shrugged. He led the cub up into the large skull.

"So what do you do for fun around here?" Simba asked, plopping down onto the ground. He noted that the skull was mostly bare except for a small nest made out of twigs and leaves. He assumed it was Timon's.

"I don't think Shenzi will want us running around…" Timon mumbled, "And I think hide and seek is out of the question." Simba gave him a dry look and Timon chuckled, "Gee, tough crowd. Look, perhaps it might just be best if we chat."

"About what?" Simba groaned, rolling over so he was on his back. Timon just grinned.

XXX

The hyena trio waited in a large gorge bathed in green light. Shenzi was sitting patiently, waiting for Scar to make an appearance. Her mind was running a mile a minute, trying to think of what to tell Scar. She figured he would not react well. But she brought the king to his knees, Scar would be no different.

But she had the clan not far away, just in case things became violent. As she sat, lost in thought, she was oblivious to Banzai's complaining and Ed's laughter. "Man, fuck Mufasa! I won't be able to sit for a week!" he growled, rubbing the claw marks on his ass. Ed laughed at him, completely unharmed from his encounter with the king.

Shenzi was similarly unharmed, however Simba's claw marks still burned on her cheek. "It's not funny, Ed," Banzai hissed. Ed refused to listen, however, doubling his laughter. "Hey, shut up!" Banzai growled at him. Ed once again refused to do so, causing Banzai to leap at him, tackling him to the ground.

The scuffle drew Shenzi from her thoughts as she turned to face them. "Hey! Shut the hell up!" she snarled, causing them to quit rolling around in the dirt. She slid down from her perch to address them directly, "You're an embarrassment," she sighed.

"Man I hate lions," Banzai growled, rubbing his ass once again. Shenzi sat next to him, she could practically feel Scar getting closer.

"Surely we lions aren't all that bad," Scar's smooth voice sounded on a ledge high above the trio. Banzai and Ed flinched, but Shenzi glared directly at him. _He already knows,_ she realized when he returned her glare full force.

"Oh Scar, it's only you," Banzai breathed a sigh of relief.

Scar stood from his sitting position and leapt down from the outcrop, landing on the ground with all the grace of a rhinoceros. Shenzi snickered internally when she saw his face contort in pain for a brief moment. He clearly didn't realize how far above the ground the ledge was.

 _"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"_ Scar hissed loudly, a rare flash of anger crossing his features.

Shenzi smirked ever so slightly, Scar had an even better poker face than she did. She knew that he could keep calm in even the most damning of situations, due to him always being two steps ahead of his opponents. "Whatever do you mean?" Shenzi asked innocently, putting a paw against her chest. But she had outplayed him.

 _"Don't play coy with me, my dear. You know exactly what you've done!"_ Scar hissed. His piercing gaze attempted to glare into her soul, but he was met by Shenzi's equally piercing eyes. They were in a deadlock, neither able to gain an advantage over the other.

"I've done what's best for my clan," Shenzi growled slowly. Banzai and Ed had taken a few steps back, letting their friend deal with Scar alone. _Cowards,_ Shenzi snarled internally. She could not match Scar in terms of strength, but she might be able to out orate him…

"Does your clan agree with you?" Scar asked, settling on his haunches. Although his face betrayed no emotion, Shenzi could see the smirk in his eyes.

"It doesn't matter what they think, I am their matriarch," Shenzi said simply. _"And I've found a plan that cuts you out of the equation entirely,"_ she hissed in his ear as she began to circle him.

His eyes settled back into a hateful glare. "Is that so? But do you think that you'll really get back into the Pridelands?" he asked.

"With Simba as a bargaining chip, I could ask for _anything_. You are no longer needed, Scar," Shenzi said, smirking ever so slightly.

Scar clenched his teeth together. He desperately tried to think of something to change Shenzi's mind. "Can you really force out an old friend, Shenzi?" he asked with faux sincerity.

"You are not an _old friend_ , Scar!" Shenzi growled as she stopped in front of his face. "Taka is dead, you said so yourself. _You're just a hollow shell of my friend,_ " she hissed.

Anger spread across his features as he raised a paw, ready to strike her. "Is it wise to threaten a lion?" he roared. But he halted when he saw that he had been surrounded. He was so distracted by Shenzi that he didn't notice the rest of the clan filing into the gorge and surrounding him in a sea of savagery.

"Someone wasn't paying attention," Shenzi said in a sing-song voice. She resumed her circling, the clan giving her just enough room to maneuver a foot away from the defeated lion. "You were watching, yes?" she didn't wait for his response, she already knew he was.

"Then you saw me bring Mufasa to his knees! And I'll do the same to you," she said with a feral grin. "Though I think that I'd rather remove your paws, so that you're _always_ kneeling before me."

A shiver went down Scar's spine, fear exploded in his chest, and his eyes widened. He wasn't sure what to say, Shenzi could very well go through with her threat. "Where are your promises, Scar?" she snickered, the other hyenas echoing her laugh.

This was the leader they loved. This was the hyena that would lead them back into the Pridelands. _This was their matriarch!_ "I… promised that you'll be treated like royalty in the Pridelands. I promised that I can get you in, permanently!" he said, faltering slightly.

Shenzi's hollow laugh was repeated by each and every one of the hyenas. "Your promises are empty, Scar! _I_ will lead _my_ clan into the Pridelands where _I_ will _force_ Mufasa to respect us! Now, get out!" she roared.

She could hear Scar grind his teeth together, but he respected her wishes and turned to leave the graveyard. He pushed passed the laughing and jeering crowd and took off towards the Pridelands. "We might have to face the fact that he has become our enemy. When we get into the Pridelands… we should reveal Scar's treachery to his king. That should end him for good," Shenzi grinned. Banzai nodded thoughtfully and Ed cackled loudly.

The trio made their way through the sea of hyenas, which parted in Shenzi's wake without her saying a word. _I did it,_ the thought echoed through her mind as she made her way back to the skull. All she had to do was _not_ kill Simba.

While they were gone, Timon and Simba's conversation had escalated into a full-blown debate. Banzai groaned, he had to deal with Shenzi and Timon constantly arguing about anything and everything, now Simba was going to join in. Shenzi just raised her eyebrow as Timon crossed his arms, confident that he had won.

"You're both wrong," Shenzi said, stepping into her home. Simba just scratched his head, completely confused. Shenzi had heard only a few words from Timon and easily determined what they were arguing about and how they were both wrong.

"How so, my dear Shenzi Marie?" Timon sighed. _She always right, she always wins,_ he groaned internally.

"I told you this once before, _Stooge_ , the light of the Pridelands can only exist when compared to the darkness of the graveyard. There must be balance," she explained. _Though there is darkness in the Pridelands in the form of Scar,_ she kept that thought to herself.

Timon sighed as she leaned down and taunted him directly to his face, "I guess it's hard to remember things with that small brain of yours." Timon groaned when he couldn't think of a comeback. _At least she seems to be feeling better,_ he noted.

"I don't know about you all, but I'm exhausted," Timon yawned and stretched. She walked over to his nest and said, "Come on, kid, you'll room with me." Simba moved to follow his new friend, but Shenzi blocked his path with her paw.

"I think not," she said. Timon looked back at her but shrugged it off. He laid out in his nest, quickly falling asleep. Banzai and Ed curled up by one of the walls of the skull. Banzai used the wall to prop his damaged hindquarters so he wouldn't roll around and infect the open wounds.

Shenzi curled up on the opposite wall. Simba hesitated, but eventually laid down next to her. It did not take long for her to fall asleep, her breathing becoming even. Thoughts of home invaded Simba's mind. He was unsure how he would be able to sleep without his mother nearby. And yet, Shenzi was surprisingly… warm. Sleep did not evade him that night.

XXX

 **Whew, that was a long one. I feel the sudden need to remind everyone that I do not own the Lion King, nor do I own any of their characters. I say this solely because I used scenes directly from the movie. Anyways, Scar's been beaten back, Shenzi defeated Mufasa, and she has Simba as a bargaining chip. All she has to do is last ten days and then she'll have the chance to negotiate for her clan's entrance into the Pridelands. Has she won? Or will something go wrong? Stay tuned to find out!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Latrunculus:

Author's Note:

 **This is going to end up being a rather short story, maybe five more chapters. I'm not quite sure (plus epilogue). This chapter explores the ten days Simba spends with the hyenas. In response to a guest review, I hate Murphy… I have indeed heard of Murphy's Law. Obviously something has to go wrong… lest the story would have just ended last chapter. Let's not delay. Please, enjoy!**

XXX

Simba would've called anyone insane if they told him that he was to spend ten days with hyenas. Creatures that he had been told all his life to see as mangy, no good, slimy, thieves. And yet… here he was. And, although the one named Banzai seemed a little mangy and he had yet to form an opinion on their disposition, they weren't slimy nor were they thieves. Perhaps he was the one going insane.

Simba wasn't exactly sure why anyone would think anything of hyenas. From what he saw, they didn't leave the graveyard. It was the first thing he asked Shenzi, _"Why are you all in the graveyard?"_

It didn't make sense to him. There was nothing here, no food, no other animals, just hyenas and bones. Shenzi's eye twitched a few times before she froze in place, just _staring_ at him. Simba was, admittedly, freaked out. She stood there, not moving a muscle, just staring at him.

Banzai and Ed shared a glance before leaving the skull as fast as they could, calling behind them, "We're going for a walk, be back soon!" and then they were gone. Simba glanced at Timon, hoping to convey his confusion without saying a word. Timon could only offer a shrug as a solution.

Minutes passed and Simba was becoming increasingly worried about Shenzi. An odd thing to feel for only having known her for a few hours, most of which he spent asleep. Timon eventually walked up next to him, arms crossed, and joined him and waiting for Shenzi to come to.

 _"Did I break her?"_ Simba whispered to Timon.

"No, she's fine. She'll be back in a moment," Timon explained before taking a seat. He had experienced this before, and knew exactly what was going through Simba's mind, as it had gone through his as well.

Minutes turned into an hour and Simba could feel the boredom boring through his skull. He too had taken a seat after Shenzi had flopped to the ground, eyes still listless and glassy. Timon had only rolled his eyes when she practically fell over, as if knowing she was going to do that. Finally, light came back to Shenzi's eyes as they twitched a few times before she blinked.

She looked at herself, clearly not knowing that she had fallen to the floor, and let out a small growl. She stood and looked at Simba again, her yellow gaze burning into his soul, "Come with me," she commanded. She turned and walked towards the exit of her home, not bothering to check to see if Simba was following.

Timon once again offered a shrug and followed behind Shenzi, Simba not far behind him. "Not you," she growled, not stopping or turning around. Simba paused, but realized she was speaking to Timon. He let out an exasperated sigh and threw his arms up in the air before walking back into the skull.

Shenzi and Simba ventured away from the skull, she was absolutely silent, Simba was too afraid to ask questions. Fear set into his soul when the idea that she could be leading him to his death crossed his mind. He stumbled slightly, but she didn't make any attempt to notice.

They kept walking, far away from the graveyard. The bones eventually came to an end, the gray landscape eventually ended, and even the darkness opened up to the relentless sunlight. Simba squinted in the sun, as the darkness of the graveyard had not prepared him for this. Shenzi did not stop, however, until the land turned to hard dirt and grass began to grow.

Her sharp eyes raked in the view, looking for something. Simba came trotting up next to her, unsure of what to say. If he should say anything at all. Eventually, after she had said nothing for a few moments, Simba asked, "Where are we?"

Shenzi let out a sigh and said, "The Badlands."

"Why are we here?" Simba asked, slightly impatient. She had just dragged him out into the middle of nowhere to stare at empty land.

"None of us are exactly sure why we're trapped in the graveyard. It happened generations ago and the only one of us to survive the experience has a bit of trouble remembering things," Shenzi explained, answering Simba's question from hours ago.

"Oh," Simba said, looking down. "Why do you all stay in the graveyard?" he asked. If she was answering his questions, now was the time to ask.

Shenzi chuckled slightly, "My ancestors were the perfect combination of arrogant and stubborn. They settled down in the graveyard, just outside of the Pridelands because they believed the king at the time would let them back in. He never did."

She paused for a moment, as if trying to recall a specific piece of information or deciding how to phrase her words. "My mother followed that trend. We could've moved passed the graveyard and into the desert and had a chance of surviving during her reign, but she stayed. We've been ravaged since then, and now getting back into the Pridelands is our only hope."

She turned and looked down at Simba, "You have a unique opportunity. You have yet to be too corrupted by your family, it's not too late to teach you. Your father, like his father and his father before him, despises hyenas, I want to break that chain of hatred. I, and my clan, have done nothing wrong. If we had done something wrong, then it is our ancestors who are to blame and they already paid the price!"

She took a deep breath and finished her speech, "Is it fair for any of us to pay the price of our ancestor's mistake? Is that justice?"

Simba stared back up at her, mesmerized by her words. "No… it isn't," he affirmed. He looked down at his feet, "Do you think dad knows all of this?"

Shenzi thought for a moment, "I think the reason we were banished is lost to history. As for if your father knows that it is unfair to keep us here, I think he refuses to believe that." She saw Simba flinch slightly, so she continued, "But I don't think it's his fault, however. Years of corruption at _his_ father's paws have tainted his perception of us forever."

"So it was impossible to reach an agreement?" Simba asked.

"Yes," Shenzi confirmed. They were silent for a few minutes, taking in all that there was to know about the Badlands. It was a brutally empty place, very few animals lived there. Simba couldn't see anything or anyone, besides a bug or two and the occasional blade of grass. Shenzi eventually let out a chuckle, "It occurs to me that now Mufasa has a reason to hate me. I might've gone a bit overboard… it just felt so _good_ taking out all that anger, don't you think so?"

"You humiliated him," Simba noted, not really angry nor happy. He knew that Mufasa likely deserved it, but Mufasa was still his father.

XXX

After their time in the Badlands, Simba remained mostly in the skull. He felt no need to explore the graveyard, as the only guide Shenzi would offer was Timon. And Simba didn't trust the meerkat to protect him from deadly hyenas. Even if he knew Shenzi had ordered them not to harm him.

He didn't trust the other hyenas. He trusted Shenzi, even now it was hard for him to grasp that. She wasn't a bad person, the world just made her out to be one… and sometimes she couldn't help but agree. And Simba understood this.

He even got along with Ed rather well. The hyena was surprisingly easy-going, though he was impossible to understand. Even Shenzi occasionally struggled with deciphering his speech. Simba eventually gave up trying.

It was Banzai that scared him. He often caught the hyena staring at him, like a predator stalking his prey. He didn't enjoy feeling like prey. Banzai was, understandably, upset that Shenzi had taken yet another poor soul under her protection. He wanted so desperately to tear Simba apart and apologize to Scar, but he knew that it was impossible while Shenzi was in charge.

He got along with Timon splendidly. Because neither of them could drink the water in the graveyard they took trips to the Badlands at least once a day to drink. Timon was a huge help for the lion cub. Timon was the only other being in the graveyard that wasn't a hyena, and although Shenzi was trustworthy… Simba related to Timon more.

It was difficult relating to either of them, actually. Despite the species difference, and their titles, they were shockingly similar. Both of them were fiercely intelligent and had similar habits. As Simba learned on the first day, Shenzi would literally freeze in place when she went into deep thought. Timon did the exact same thing, less frequently however. Simba never made a comment on it, he was certain neither of them realized what they were doing, or that they were doing it.

But something strange happened on day five, something that Simba couldn't even begin to explain. It actually started on day three. Simba was laying in the skull, fighting off the urge to tear his claws out from boredom, when Timon came running up to him saying that he had invented a new game.

Simba, both completely bored and curious, agreed to learn of this new game. Shenzi was out with her companions, so the two of them were alone. Timon started by drawing a bunch of boxes encompassing an eight by eight square with a stick. He then laid out a bunch of different sized rocks and set them up on both sides of the board.

Timon then began explaining how each of the rocks, he called them "pieces," moved. It was a complex system, but Simba eventually figured it out. He and Timon played a few games, testing out the piece movements. He and Timon made a few tweaks to several pieces and then everything seemed to click.

The first game they played, Timon won. It was no surprise, Timon had been sitting on the idea for years, apparently, but had never figured out how to put it from his mind onto the ground. But now that Timon had figured it out, all those years of strategy came flowing out.

They played again and again, Simba never giving up. They were close games, and Simba was quickly getting better. Timon would chuckle each time as they set up the board, trying out different strategies and different moves, trying to perfect his overall game. Simba, on the other hand, made tweaks to a specific strategy trying to perfect his understanding.

The two opposing strategies meant that Timon had to spend a lot of time figuring out the right move while Simba spent more time adapting to Timon's ever changing strategy. It wasn't like either of them had anything better to do. The first game had taken them only ten minutes, but each game afterwards became longer and longer until they had played six games over the course of five hours.

Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed entered the skull while they were setting up their seventh game. Shenzi's eyes narrowed, getting used to coming back to see the two of them doing strange things. Banzai only rolled his eyes and Ed laughed as he usually did, and they both curled up next to one of the walls, deciding to take a nap. The wounds had closed on Banzai's ass, but there were still scars. Not unlike the ones on Shenzi's cheek.

She stood next to their board, watching them closely. She never asked for an explanation, only observing the duo play their game. They were both slightly unnerved by her calculating gaze, but played to the best of their abilities none-the-less.

The two played for a good five minutes before she let out a hollow laugh, "Game over," she smirked at Timon. He raised an eyebrow as he set the piece down, finishing his move. He glared at her, clearly recognizing his mistake, but he had already made a rule that you couldn't take back moves once you let go of the piece.

 _How could she have figured the game out so quickly!_ Simba asked himself, realizing what Shenzi had seen. Timon had to explain the game to him three times before he understood what he was doing, but Shenzi had figured it out simply by observing. Simba moved the piece he was supposed to, "Checkmate," he exclaimed his victory.

It was exhilarating, feeling the rush of victory. Timon had beaten him six times in a row, but he had finally defeated the more intelligent meerkat. Score one for the lion! But… he would've likely never seen his victory without Shenzi's intervention. And that's why he shouldn't have been so surprised by what happened on the fifth day.

Simba and Timon had just gotten back from a water trip in the Badlands and they were met by the _entire clan_ of hyenas in a large circle around the skull he had come to call home. They were obviously confused, but they were more than that when they realized that Shenzi was in the very center of the massive circle… playing their game.

They could see the ferocious grin on her face as she went around the circle, ending games in some places, defending herself in others. In all, she was playing eighty games at once. Something that Simba could barely grasp, as he had been unable to win a single game without Shenzi's help.

She turned and smirked at them, shouting out at them, "Come, take one of these _losers'_ spots! I want to see if you can best me!" There was such mirth in her eyes that neither of them could refuse. Timon took Banzai's spot, who had just lost and had walked away grumbling to himself about the "stupid" game. Simba took a different hyena's spot, a female with a very light coat, nearly as light as his.

They both set up their boards and made their opening moves while they waited for Shenzi to come back around. By the time she had, ten hyenas had been bested. Another time and twenty left. Again and again this went on until it was only Shenzi, Simba, Timon, Ed, and one other female hyena with a very dark coat.

And she was fast, taking a single glance at the board before making her move, absolutely ruining Simba's strategies. He could see the frustration welling up on Timon's and the other female hyena's faces, but Ed's remained as nonsensical as always. Shenzi seemed completely relaxed, her features not revealing anything about her emotions.

Eventually Ed was eliminated. Simba was surprised the stupid-looking hyena was able to last this long against Shenzi, but he figured that the sheer randomness of his moves must've been what kept Shenzi at bay. She had to take nearly all of his pieces to put him down.

The other female hyena eventually surrendered, saying that she only had three moves until she was out. Shenzi only smirked at her and sent her on her way. Then it was just Simba and Timon. And neither were faring well against her. _How is she this good?_ Simba wondered to himself.

He glanced at Timon's board to see how he was doing and then he realized the difference between the two of them. He barely understood how they got to that position, it was intricate and complex, so much more than his simple board. _She's going easy on me!_ Simba realized. She considered Timon a real opponent and held nothing back against him, compared to their game, Simba's board looked like his very first match.

She could've smashed him in less than ten moves, but she spent the whole game countering his strategies instead of being aggressive. Finally, he made a mistake on purpose, hoping to see if she would take initiative to finish him off. She did, but with a disappointed gleam in her yellow eyes.

Then it was just her and Timon. Simba stayed to watch the duo battle it out to the end. Simba figured that Timon hadn't been holding back against him when they had played, but had constantly switched up his strategy, often damning himself more than Simba. But he stuck with a single idea this time, and that idea had been reduced to him just trying to hold on against Shenzi's relentless assault.

It seemed like it would be a standstill, Timon was just good enough to withstand the brutal attacks. But, inevitably, Shenzi broke through Timon's defense and slaughtered his pieces, finally exclaiming, "Checkmate!"

Timon hung his head in defeat before smirking at her, "If I may ask, how far ahead did you think? How soon did you know you were going to win?"

She smirked back and answered, "I know you, Timon. I knew it would end up like this from the beginning. I'll always stand just a bit above you." It wasn't a taunt or a jeer, just a declaration of facts.

The trio shook paws and headed back to their home. Shenzi was still glowing from her victories. "The clan decides leadership based on strength, they're so unused to _thinking_ ," Shenzi explained when Simba asked how she was able to play eighty games at once.

"But that means you're the strongest hyena too…" Simba trailed off as Shenzi flashed him a vicious grin.

"It's the same deal as with your father, kid. Mufasa is the strongest lion in the pride, right? I bet he's not the dumbest either," she shrugged. She nearly told him that she was aware of Scar's existence, as he was undoubtedly the smartest lion in the Pride.

"So what do we call this game?" Timon spoke up, interrupting their conversation.

Shenzi took a moment to think before saying, "I don't know about you, but I'm partial to chess." And that was that.

XXX

Simba woke up cold on the eighth day. Shenzi was gone, but Banzai and Ed were still in the skull, fast asleep. Simba had learned from experience that Shenzi liked to wake up early, always waking him up with her, but this time she snuck away without waking him.

He was used to being up this early, while the other denizens of the den were still asleep, but Shenzi's absence was strange. She usually waited until Banzai and Ed woke up naturally before actually starting the day. She would spend her mornings, Simba with her, on top of the skull, staring out at the Pridelands. She would occasionally ask him strange questions about what it was like to live in the light.

He would answer to the best of his ability, but it was odd not being bombarded with questions. She and her companions would often leave to check on the clan every day, but she wouldn't leave until Timon was awake. That way Simba had some company and Timon could have his well-deserved sleep.

Simba had never noticed it before, but Shenzi was always respectful of her companions. Including himself. He would often wake up to see her glaring at him, as if waiting for him to get up naturally, but they usually woke up around the same time. But Simba wasn't Shenzi, and he had no qualms waking anyone up.

He started with Timon. He shook the small meerkat a few times before he let out a groan and rolled over. "What?" he said, eyes bleary and voice low.

"Where's Shenzi?" Simba whispered, nearly frantically.

"Who?" Timon said, clearly not realizing what was going on. His bloodshot eyes were barely open.

"Shenzi? The hyena in charge? The one that beat you in chess a few days ago?" Simba urged.

Timon sat up instantly, shaking the sleep from his frame, "She's gone?" he said with panic evident in his voice. He looked over and saw the two still slumbering hyenas then over to the spot where Shenzi usually slept. "Have you checked the top of the skull?"

Simba shook his head, "No, she doesn't usually just leave like that."

"Let's check first, before we panic. For all we know…" he trailed off and didn't finish what he was going to say. The duo made their way out of the skull and climbed to the roof of the massive structure. It was bare. "Okay… let's not panic…" Timon said, tapping his fingers together.

"Should we ask Banzai and Ed?" Simba asked. Timon nodded rapidly before sliding down the skull, not bothering to wait for Simba. Timon practically threw himself on top of Banzai, doing his best to wake the slumbering hyena. Simba joined in rocking the hyena back in forth until he finally threw the two of them off of him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he growled, waking Ed in the process. He sprung to his feet, not at all affected by being woken up early, the usual grin present on his face. He giggled something, but Banzai only growled at him, signaling that he should be quiet.

"Shenzi's gone!" Timon said, panic evident in his voice. Now that everyone was awake, he didn't bother whispering. Banzai raised an eyebrow and glanced at Simba, who nodded, silently confirming Timon's problem.

Banzai walked over to where Shenzi slept and breathed in deeply, trying to pick up her scent. He looked up, eyes dilating, and said, "She's fine." He walked back over to where he and Ed had been sleeping and laid back down.

"That's it?" Timon asked, "Just _she's fine?_ And that's it! Shouldn't you track her, or something?"

Banzai whirled around and snapped at him, causing the meerkat to jump backwards. His pupils were still highly dilated. _"I know exactly where she is! And trust me! She doesn't want to see_ _any_ _of us. Not you, not me, not even the kid!"_ he growled.

Timon took a few more steps backwards, not expecting Banzai's outburst. "What's going on?" he asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," Banzai growled, still irritated. He sat back down, curling up once more, and fell asleep. No longer wanting to speak to Timon.

Simba and the meerkat shared a glance before they too went back to sleep. They had no idea what was going on with Shenzi, but they hoped she was alright.

XXX

Shenzi came back late on the ninth day. She said nothing to either of them that would have allowed them to determine where she was, what she was doing, and why she was gone. Her eye twitched occasionally, the only thing that betrayed her seriousness. It was the only hint they had that told them whatever she was suffering from was still afflicting her.

Banzai avoided her like the plague for the entirety of the day. Both him and Ed had left the den and had not returned until the dawn of the tenth day. They refused to tell the still very confused duo where they had gone, though Ed did let out a laugh that very well might've betrayed their problems if either of them could understand the deranged hyena.

Early on the tenth day, a few hours before the negotiations were supposed to take place, Shenzi had taken him into the heart of the graveyard. He was surrounded on all sides by hyenas, all whom backed away from Shenzi. Her mouth was set in a hard line and it was clear no one wanted to mess with her. Shenzi led him into a small den in the heart of the graveyard.

Inside the den was an elderly, female hyena. She stared at Simba with glassy eyes, piercing his soul. The old hyena was unnerving, but Simba stood strong against her glare. "Busara," Shenzi greeted, touching the dirt with her nose in a deep bow.

Simba raised an eyebrow, but copied the motion. Shenzi had forgotten to mention the whole bowing thing to him. "Matriarch, I was wondering when I'd be graced with your presence again," the aging hyena said sarcastically. Shenzi flinched slightly, further confusing Simba. Wasn't she in charge? Wasn't she the matriarch?

It looked as if this elder was very similar to the pride's elders, snarky and hostile. But they never got a reaction out of Mufasa. Shenzi turned to Simba and said, "I wanted you to meet her before you went back home."

"So _this_ is the young king? I had heard rumors that you took in yet another pathetic soul, but I had no idea that they weren't joking about the lion part," Busara smirked. She waved at Simba, motioning for him to move closer.

"He's not staying. He's going back in a few hours," Shenzi said. Busara ignored her, instead focusing on touching the young cub, trying to distinguish him features.

"I was so angry when I lost my sight a few seasons ago. But my other senses have sharpened considerably. The one thing I miss is seeing the faces of the clan… though I guess I'm spared the look of constant suffering," she said as she backed away slightly from the startled young cub. She had turned serious very quickly. "I don't even know what suffering looks like anymore… does that make blindness a curse or a blessing?"

Simba didn't have time to answer… he was sure he wasn't _supposed_ to answer. Shenzi cut in and saved him from just staring at her awkwardly. "The suffering is nearly over. In a few hours, I will have successfully negotiated a deal that'll get us back into the Pridelands," Shenzi said.

Busara's was even more frightening than Shenzi's, or perhaps it was simply because of the echo in the small chamber. "Negotiate? I remember a time when hyenas would fight for what they wanted, instead of cowering in their prison like lowly rats," she growled.

"Have you ever fought a lion, Busara? Oh, I forgot! _You can barely remember what happened yesterday, let alone if you've ever fought lions,_ " Shenzi snarled.

Busara's smirk never left her face, "Do you have an answer for me?"

"No," Shenzi growled, calming down. Busara let out a chuckle before relaxing back on the ground. "I brought Simba so that he might learn what it was like for us to be banished. I was hoping you would be able to tell him something."

Simba waited as Busara tried to recall anything important. Eventually she shrugged and said, "The king said get the fuck out, and so we did. There's not much else to tell." Shenzi let out a sigh and turned to leave the den, Simba following behind her. "Next time you're here, I expect an answer!" Busara called after them, a laugh echoing as they left the chamber.

Shenzi's eye twitched as the two of them headed back to the skull. "Well… she's pleasant," Simba said after they had left the heart of the graveyard. Far away from the rest of the clan.

"She knows she's not much longer for the world. The old don't feel the need to temper their thoughts, something that I envy," Shenzi explained. And that was the last thing she said to him until they left for the negotiations. Timon in tow behind them.

XXX

 **Another long one. I had a bit of trouble starting this chapter, but after I got through the first day, the rest of the chapter just flowed right out. So… Simba's time in the graveyard wasn't so bad, eh? I mean, the first day was a bit tense, but the rest of the experience was fairly enlightening for the young cub, I'd say. I just couldn't resist inserting chess into this story somehow… I figured it would be Timon to come up with the idea and Shenzi perfecting it (and what about her defeating eighty opponents at once? That's pretty cool). But what happened to Shenzi on day eight? Any theories (there is a correct answer, by the way)? How do you think the negotiations are going to go? Until next time, please stay tuned!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - Annihilo:

Author's Note:

 **I was surprised that the overwhelming majority of you thought that the negotiations would end in disaster. Have you no faith in Shenzi? Eh, doesn't matter, you might turn out right after all. Let's not dally, shall we? Please, enjoy!**

XXX

Shenzi arrived at the border to see Mufasa already there waiting for her. She grinned slyly, Mufasa had positioned himself so that he was directly on the edge of the border. She wouldn't actually be crossing to meet him.

She stopped a few feet shy of the border, where the gray, lifeless dirt of the graveyard met the great greens of the Pridelands. The two stood, staring at each other, waiting for one to make a move. She eventually decided to touch her nose to the ground as a sign of respect, wondering if he would copy her.

She grimaced when she looked up to see the king staring down at her. So she raised her head and said, "I guess curtesy is off the table."

"This isn't about curtesy, this is about me getting my son back," Mufasa growled. Shenzi smirked before allowing Simba to move up beside her, but not allowing him past her. "Simba! Are you alright?" Mufasa said, concern evident in his voice.

"I'm fine, dad," Simba said. Shenzi smirked slightly, this is what she wanted. She let Mufasa and Simba keep talking, Simba vouching for her and her clan, slowly softening Mufasa.

"Are you hurt? What did they do to you?" Mufasa growled, not believing Simba's account.

"Really, I'm fine. It… wasn't much different than living with you," Simba admitted. He looked up at Shenzi, who refused to break eye contact with Mufasa. "It was actually… interesting, dad."

"Really?" Mufasa asked, disbelief evident in his voice. He looked at Shenzi, confusion welling in his eyes. Simba nodded slowly.

"As you can see, your son is unharmed. Now, shall we begin?" she said.

"Who's that?" Mufasa said, pointing at Timon, who stood next to Shenzi, opposite of Simba. He had his arms crossed and was nervously tapping his fingers against his arm. The tapping increased tempo when Mufasa pointed him out.

"He's… he's a friend observing our delegation," Shenzi answered, not looking at Timon. Timon looked up at her, however, thinking, _So now I'm a friend?_ But he didn't dare voice his thoughts, lest it discredit Shenzi.

"I thought you said you would be alone," Mufasa growled, mind whirling, trying to think of ways to use this against Shenzi. He knew that, in the end, they would have to come to an agreement. But it was up to him to limit the hyena's access.

"It's not like he's going to be harming anyone, and it's not like you didn't bring anyone else along too," Shenzi gestured to a bush and snickered slightly. Mufasa followed her pointing and raised an eyebrow in confusion.

Nala stepped out of the brush, looking down at her feet, ashamed not for following, rather for being caught. "Nala?" Mufasa said, as if not believing she had followed him.

"I'm sorry, I just had to see Simba again. I wasn't sure if he was coming back or not," she admitted. Mufasa's eyes widened in fear as he realized that Shenzi now had grounds to end the negotiations prematurely.

But she only shook her head, "That seems fair. I brought a plus one, you have a right to one as well."

Mufasa narrowed his eyes, she was being suspiciously agreeable. Was she always like this? He thought hard for a moment, unsure of how to continue. She had clearly not harmed his son, and she had brought a meerkat of all beings with her, claiming he was a friend. Was she lying or telling the truth? The meerkat seemed reluctant to say anything… perhaps…

"You, meerkat," Mufasa said, drawing Timon's attention from Nala to him. "What do you have to say?"

Shenzi grinned internally, she had expected this to happen too. It was why she allowed Timon to tag along. The small meerkat did not look up at Shenzi, nor did he hesitate in answering Mufasa, "I have nothing to say. I'm just here to observe."

Mufasa gave him a suspicious look before continuing, "Consider this an order to speak freely. How did you get caught up in all of this?"

Shenzi grinned, it was perfect. Everything was going exactly as planned. "I met Shenzi a few weeks ago, before all of this," he gestured to the two of them before continuing, "happened. I was living with my family out in the Badlands at the time when Shenzi and two others appeared. I made the mistake of trifling with her…" Timon launched deep into his tale, captivating Mufasa.

He embellished slightly, overplaying his and Shenzi's mental clashes while downplaying his defeats. He mentioned only briefly his time with Simba, but did note the chess game quite vigorously, considering his greatest accomplishment to last that long against Shenzi the Unstoppable.

"And so I tagged along because I wanted to, figuring at least I may be able to avert disaster," Timon shrugged as if it was all no big deal to him. Shenzi breathed out slowly, _Ya did good, Stooge,_ she thought to herself.

"I see," Mufasa said, thinking hard. It certainly was a glowing character reference… he was running out of options. There had to be _something_ he could do. "Tell me, my son, how are the conditions of the graveyard?"

"Awful, dad. Just awful. There's a single poisoned water supply that they drink from, slowly killing even the strongest of them. There's no food, some starve to death, others go without food for weeks…" Simba trailed off.

Mufasa's teeth ground together, the graveyard was clearly abysmal. He was honestly surprised the hyenas had even survived this long under those conditions. "Very well, let's begin," Mufasa said after a long while. He had nothing, no reason to deny Shenzi access. "How many are under your rule?"

Shenzi grin widened, finally down to business. "We have a little over eighty, including myself," she answered. Mufasa said nothing, prompting Shenzi to growl out, "To put that in perspective, we were nearly two hundred strong when we were banished."

"Shenzi Marie Predatora Veldetta Jacquelina Hyena, what is it you think you will be getting from me today?" Mufasa said, his tone absent of the growl he had been addressing her with. At this moment, she was his equal, and he was clearly using his "regal" voice.

"I never thought you'd ask," Shenzi snickered, "I want full access for myself and for my clan." A cold wind blew through, originating from the graveyard, blowing back the king's mane. Simba, Nala, and Timon all shivered from the cold, but Shenzi and Mufasa remained strong, not flinching nor giving the other any ground. No weakness was present.

When the wind died down, Shenzi could hear Mufasa let out a sigh, "I hope you realize that I cannot justify introducing eighty vicious predators to this ecosystem."

Shenzi's anger was immediate, _"Don't bullshit me, Mufasa!_ Don't 'I cannot justify" me! I-"

Mufasa cut her off, however, "Do you deny their numbers or do you deny their disposition? This isn't about justification, on my part, it's about preserving the Pridelands. The _fact_ is that eighty is too large of a number."

Shenzi growled, her eyes blazed as she glared at Mufasa. Thousands of possibilities and contingencies flew through her mind in under a second. "How sure are you that they are willing to be ruled under me? How sure are you of your own ability to enforce my rule?" Mufasa asked, neither smirking nor grinning.

Shenzi froze, she had no idea. She knew that the hyenas wanted freedom more than anything else… _was this why we were kicked out in the first place?_ she pondered. She knew that Scar had promised the hyenas independence, which was what Shenzi feared. She wasn't sure what the hyenas were capable of alone. If it suited them… they may very well disobey Mufasa, and even herself. She had to keep them as far away from Scar as possible.

Shenzi thought carefully, she couldn't let this damper her victory. She couldn't let Mufasa win. Was it really important that she got access for everyone? Maybe… "I guess I can see the logic in that," she sighed. She looked back up at him, yellow eyes narrowed, "But that doesn't mean that we aren't reaching some sort of agreement. I still have your son."

Mufasa nodded in understanding. He had managed to knock down the one agreement that he would not stand for. Despite all of this, Shenzi didn't seem so bad. "How about this, I will allow you into the Pridelands, you and you alone. You will stay at Pride Rock and you will hunt with the lionesses, you may take your kills back to your clan."

Shenzi stiffened, twitching slightly. _Is this what I want?_ she thought weakly. There was no way she could convince Mufasa to let anyone else come with her. She looked at Timon, who only shrugged, then she turned to Simba. He looked hopeful, wanting her to accept the deal. Was it for his sake or for hers? She would never know. "Only on two conditions," she said softly.

Mufasa nodded slowly, "Name them," he commanded.

"He," Shenzi gestured to Timon, "Stays with me." Mufasa raised an eyebrow, but nodded in agreement. "And… once a week, you will allow all of them, and I mean all of them, to enter the Pridelands to drink fresh water." It was the least she could do for them.

"On the account that they are not allowed to hunt anything," Mufasa conceded after a moment's thought. In a sense, they had both succeeded. Mufasa had limited the number of hyenas in the Pridelands to one, and Shenzi had managed to get them momentary access once a week, and she would be able to provide them food. And yet… in felt like she was betraying them.

Shenzi had led Mufasa deep into the graveyard so the two of them could tell the clan of the historic agreement. Mufasa had stood strong next to her, trusting that she wouldn't turn around and attack him. It was tempting, but she knew it would only play into Scar's plans… and she hated him more than she did Mufasa.

The hyenas were surprised that they were able to actually reach an agreement, they had such little faith in Shenzi. Well, it was more of a lack of faith in Mufasa's ability to compromise. But they had taken the news rather well. All they heard was they would be getting food, but Shenzi knew that it was only a matter of time before they would want more. _Greedy, gluttonous fools,_ she hissed to herself.

Mufasa led them personally to the watering hole for the first of their weekly trips into the Pridelands. All animals scattered in the wake of the massive exodus of hyenas. They lapped graciously at the water, the freshness shocking many of them. Some had never had fresh water, others had taken occasional trips into the Badlands during the wet season to drink, but it had been quite a while since then.

But, inevitably, it was time for them to go. The clan reluctantly left the Pridelands, Shenzi and Mufasa following them back to the border. Banzai brought up the rear, pausing before crossing to stare at Shenzi. "Go, Banzai. I'll be back to visit with food," she said softly. Banzai gulped, but complied with her request.

Then it was just her, Mufasa, Timon, and the cubs. Mufasa turned and walked towards Pride Rock, not looking back to see if Shenzi was following. She tore her gaze from her previous home and followed her king back into the Pridelands. She couldn't feel happy.

It felt as if she damned herself. She didn't doubt that her rule would be challenged in her absence, and she wondered if it was even worth fighting for it each time she returned with food. She was no longer matriarch. _So what does this make me?_ she pondered as they walked towards Pride Rock.

It didn't matter what it made her. She could do something matriarch Shenzi couldn't. She could provide for her clan, despite being in the Pridelands. She lifted her head to gaze into the sky. It was blue, not a cloud in the sky. And the light burned.

XXX

It was so damn hot. That's the first complaint Shenzi had come up with while in the Pridelands. Her second complain would definitely be the nasty looks she was getting from the lionesses. They would glare at her both behind her back and to her face. It annoyed her when they did it behind her back, but often she would prefer that to the latter.

The glares were full of contempt for the first day. They hated her simply because she was a hyena and they were lions. And yet, she managed to gain the king's favor. It felt… strange being beneath another being, but Shenzi found it almost a relief. She didn't have to worry about many things anymore.

The glares changed after their first hunting trip. Shenzi went all out, easily outpacing all of the other lionesses and quickly taking down a water buffalo by herself. This one would be for the clan. The lionesses had stared at her in surprise when she had taken off by herself, easily picked out a weakness, and took down the prey alone.

The glares became full of jealousy, she was better than any one of them in every way. She was faster, stronger, smarter, and they hated her for it. She didn't blame them for it. They must've complained something fierce because Mufasa had called her into his den on the fourth day.

"I hear complaints from the lionesses. They say you refuse to work as a team, that you went out of your way to hunt on your own," he said. He didn't necessarily look displeased, just amused that a hyena would be able to get under the skins of so many lions.

Shenzi snorted, she hadn't even had time to clean the blood from her fur from the day's hunt when Mufasa called for her, "It's not my fault if they can't keep up." She didn't bother to say any more, she couldn't care less about the lionesses.

A grin spread across Mufasa's face as he broke out into a deep laugh, startling Shenzi. She hadn't expected him to find her situation funny. But she remained silent, waiting for Mufasa to say something. The booming laugh eventually died down so that Mufasa could speak, "My son had said you were like that."

"What else did he tell ya?" Shenzi smirked, realizing that she wasn't in trouble. The last thing she wanted was to be kicked out because of a couple stupid lionesses.

"Not much else, but your companion did not hesitate to sing of your glory. He had told me you shone with a brilliance matched by no other," Mufasa said. Shenzi rolled her eyes, leave it to Stooge to stoke her ego. "Which was why after today's incident, I have to see it for myself. Come with me," he ordered, walking out of the cave.

Shenzi followed behind him, unsure of where he was taking her. They walked far away from Pride Rock, deep into the Pridelands. Shenzi stayed a few steps behind him, but didn't lag too far behind. Finally, he came to a stop on a small outcrop, sun glinting in his mane giving him a regal look.

Shenzi padded up next to him, the sun doing nothing but burning her. The outcrop overlooked a herd of antelope, going about their day, completely ignoring their king. Mufasa and Shenzi watched the herd for a few moments, they were about twenty meters away, before Mufasa began to speak, "Tell me, what do you see?"

Shenzi narrowed her eyes at the stupid question. It would be so simple to just say _a herd of antelope_ and be done with it, but Shenzi figured that this was a test. So her sharp eyes scanned the herd, searching for something out of place, something that only she and Mufasa could see. Eventually, she found that something.

A cat with spots was slinking through the thick ferns, getting as close to the herd as possible. _A cheetah,_ Shenzi recognized the spotted pattern. "I see danger," she said simply.

Mufasa nodded, impressed. "And which one do you think he will attack?" he asked. Yet another test. Shenzi scanned the herd once again, this time looking for weaknesses. And she found them.

"That one over there is limping," she said, pointing at the lame antelope, but she wasn't done yet. She continued with, "There are three younglings over there, but I doubt they'd provide much in terms of sustenance. The easiest kill, however, is likely the oblivious one closest to the predator."

Mufasa chuckled, "Excellent. Now, what do you think _we_ should do?" he asked. Shenzi's eyes widened when she realized what they were doing. What she was doing. She was out hunting with the king. _This ought to shut those damn lionesses up,_ she smirked and turned to look up at the much taller Mufasa.

"I say we capitalize on the oncoming panic," she said, slinking away. Judging from where the cheetah was positioned, the herd would scatter in random directions. But the majority would head… _here_ , she thought as she and Mufasa hunkered down in a large bush, concealing themselves and waited.

Eventually, the cheetah leapt from his hiding spot and attacked the herd, sending them into a chaotic frenzy. She didn't see if he had caught his prey or not, because dozens and dozens of antelope came rushing at her and Mufasa.

They leapt as one, each of them tackling a different antelope, and both of them bit down hard enough to break their prey's neck. Though Shenzi's was accompanied by an audible crack as she broke bone. The feral fire in her eyes was matched only by the fire in Mufasa's, he clearly didn't get to do this often.

Eventually he dropped the antelope and she followed suit. He was breathing heavy, which inspired her to make a snide comment, "Out of shape old man?" she taunted. She had done something that no other hyena could claim, she had hunted with a lion. And not just any lion, a king to boot.

He chuckled loudly, "Perhaps, perhaps," he said. The two were silent, enjoying the afterglow of a good hunt. Shenzi had passed her test with flying colors. "My son speaks very highly of you, Shenzi," he started, using her real name to address her.

"You are, without a doubt, brilliant, and I can think of no better place for you than by my side. Will you accept a position as royal advisor?" he finished. Shenzi could feel herself soar, so much so that she lost herself.

It was too perfect. Was this a dream? This couldn't be real. But it was… it was very real. "Of course I accept, your majesty," she said, touching her nose to the ground. And she was happy. So very happy.

XXX

 **This was a rather short chapter when compared to the last two, but still enjoyable to write none-the-less. Although Shenzi hadn't been able to free her clan, she managed to vastly improve their living conditions. I wonder, however, if contempt has grown within her subjects. She left them. And though she feeds them from afar, she gets to stay in the proverbial promise land, while they continue to rot in the graveyard. How long do they take this injustice? Will they rise up against her? Can they rise up against her? If they challenge her rule, do you think she'll even care? Stay tuned until next time to find out!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Aetas:

Author's Note:

 **This chapter was fun to write. I'm not even going to hide that; this is swiftly becoming my favorite chapter. This is where shit hits the fan, are you all ready for that? Now… let's begin. Please, enjoy!**

XXX

Shenzi stood on the border of the Pridelands and the graveyard. It had been a week since she had left the graveyard and it was time once again for the clan to get their weekly drink. But she hesitated before crossing the border, she actually hadn't been in the graveyard at all the past week. She had left food on the border, knowing Banzai and Ed would be near enough to alert the clan to their food.

But now she would actually have to go and collect her clan. _So why am I hesitating?_ she hissed to herself. She had come alone, though she knew that there was a group of lionesses hunting nearby. Surely she wasn't afraid of her clan. Would they be resentful? Would she arrive only to find that she had been replaced?

She steeled herself against those possibilities, no. She was their _matriarch_. Still, even now. She stepped confidently over the border and made her way into the graveyard, head held high. It was something that she had learned from Mufasa. He always kept his head held high, no matter who he was talking to. And she would do the same.

The three days she had spent as Mufasa's advisor had been enjoyable. She was by his side constantly, listening to him debate and consider different options for his kingdom. She had no idea that his job was that difficult. It was a constant balancing act, settling disputes between species, and even quelling insurgencies within his own ranks.

And she helped him make decisions. In a sense, she had more power now than she ever had before. But it wasn't her power that made her happy, it was the respect she now held. She was second only to Mufasa himself, and his queen, but she now had something to lord over that stupid bird. And she held real authority now, she could actually gather her own hunting parties whenever she wished, she could plan and strategize to her heart's content. She was… content.

She stepped into the gorge where her clan resided. She waited in the very center as word spread of her arrival. She said nothing as dozens of hyenas emerged from their dens and crowded the area, but giving her a small area to call her own. The greeted her surprisingly respectfully, though she could hear the strain in some of their voices. It seemed as if she had not lost power yet.

"Shenzi? Shenzi!" one voice rang out above the others. Banzai rushed to her side, followed closely by Ed. They were both looking much better. Their pelts had darkened a bit and she could no longer see their ribs. In fact, everyone in the clan was looking better, even though it had only been a week. "You're back! Were you banished again?" he asked, concern evident in his eyes, though she could tell that he was hopeful that she had indeed been banished.

"Of course not," Shenzi scoffed at the idea. She was actually doing quite well. Banzai looked downtrodden, not even bothering to hide it. "I am here to lead you all for your weekly drink."

Banzai nodded. Excited yips and barks raced through the clan as they formed a huge line behind their still matriarch. She led them through the graveyard and into the Pridelands. She led them passed the hunting group of lionesses, whom did not spare her and her clan a single glance. She led them to the massive watering hole and allowed them time to drink.

They lapped gratefully at the water as Shenzi watched them carefully. She doubted any would make a break for it, but it was better to be careful than unprepared. As she noticed the clan finishing up, she began to journey back to the graveyard. It was a surprisingly peaceful excursion. No one hesitated, no one looked back as they crossed the border. Except for Banzai.

He turned, but did not stop, and shot her a pleading look. Then he walked away. Shenzi ground her teeth together, considering rushing into the graveyard after them. Recondemning herself along with her clan. But she held strong, she was happy. She was alive and her clan will endure all of this.

She turned her back to the graveyard and walked back to Pride Rock. She took her time, but didn't dally, she didn't want to seem as if she was taking too long. The sun hung high in the sky, signaling it was noon. Though Shenzi's internal clock was highly accurate, she was getting used to relying on the sun to tell her the time. Something that she was becoming more and more grateful for, especially after being back in the graveyard.

She made her way up Pride Rock, ignoring the glares of lionesses, as she walked to the king's chamber. She had grown more and more accustom to their glares as the days passed, so much so that she hardly even registered them anymore. Mufasa was awaiting her return, Sarabi on his left, Simba on his right.

Sarabi was the one lioness who did not immediately despise her. Shenzi could tell that it was difficult for the queen to feel much of anything, her features were always relaxed and she had a perpetual look of boredom on her face, only to be rectified in the heat of the hunt. She even hardly showed emotion towards her cub, Shenzi could tell it was strained at times. But Shenzi was thankful that at least one lion other than Mufasa didn't hate her guts.

Sarabi, as the queen, was master of the hunt. She made all of the hunting decisions and decided when, where, and what to hunt… most of the time. Shenzi had found that her new authority meant that she could gather her own forces outside of Sarabi's control, though Sarabi was usually the one to come with her on her hunts.

Shenzi had spent little time with Simba over the past week. He would occasionally approach her to ask questions or play chess, but he spent most of his time with Nala and Timon. _Timon,_ Shenzi thought to herself. It seemed as if Timon had taken over for Zazu as Simba's babysitter, now accompanying the young prince wherever he goes. Though Timon wasn't here at the moment. With Shenzi spending all of her time with Mufasa and Timon always watching over Simba, the two hardly had the time to speak to one another. It was the thing Shenzi missed the most, but she vowed to make time… eventually.

She touched her nose to the ground, as she was accustomed to, and Mufasa dipped his head ever so slightly. It was the closest he ever came to bowing to anyone, and Shenzi took what she could get. "What is my task for today, my liege?" Shenzi said. It still sounded strange upon her tongue, but she was getting used to being underneath someone. Not that she enjoyed it… it was a pain that was slowly numbing.

Mufasa frowned and said, "You are to accompany me to visit my brother. I have been having terrible visions as of late, my son's account on his… trip to the graveyard has only made these visions worse."

Shenzi visibly darkened, she knew what this was about. Scar had been the one to convince Simba to go to the graveyard, where he was supposed to be ambushed and killed by hyenas. If Simba had told Mufasa who sent him to the graveyard… of course Mufasa would be suspicious. She wondered briefly if she should give up Scar. _Would that damn me?_ Shenzi wondered.

She followed Mufasa out of his chamber and they walked quite a distance away from Pride Rock. Apparently, Scar liked to spend his time as far away from his brother as possible. _If I give up Scar, that would reveal that I had been in on slaying his son… that it was a plan. That would not only damn Scar, it would damn me and my clan as well… I cannot give him up,_ Shenzi rationed.

A foul mood sunk in as she saw Scar resting leisurely in a tree. His eyes were closed, he looked so peaceful. _"Bastard,"_ Shenzi couldn't help but growl under her breath, hoping Mufasa didn't hear. The king made no attempt to show he had heard her, he just kept walking towards the resting lion.

"Scar," Mufasa said loudly, but not shouting. His tone was stern, but not angry. He wasn't assuming anything, and had clearly brought Shenzi along so she could help him get to the bottom of this mystery. _If only it really was a mystery to me,_ she wished.

Scar's eyes opened slowly and he regarded his brother with a bored look. "What do you want?" he sighed, rolling over as to not look at his brother in the face. Shenzi was immediately suspicious, was this how he always behaved to his brother and king?

Mufasa didn't seem concerned, however. "You haven't met the Pridelands' newest inhabitant and my newest advisor yet, have you, Scar?" Mufasa said.

Shenzi glared at Scar as he turned back around to see her standing next to Mufasa. His eyes widened in surprise, she would've smirked in any other situation, but she held her glare. "Shenzi?" he said, voice rising a few pitches.

Mufasa's eyes narrowed, sending Shenzi's mind into a frenzied panic. She had to think of something to defuse this. "You know her?" the king asked.

 _That's it,_ Shenzi realized. "Taka?" Shenzi said, pretending if she hadn't seen Scar in years. She grimaced using that name, the bittersweet pain rising to the front of her mind. But it was the only way to keep Mufasa from the truth.

Scar seemed to catch on immediately and replied with, "Scar now, my dear Shenzi." Mufasa's eyes narrowed as he wordlessly stared at his brother, expecting an explanation. "We were friends when I was a cub… when I was still Taka," Scar explained, flinching slightly when using that name as well.

If there was one thing Shenzi could count on, it was Scar wanting to save his own skin. He wouldn't throw himself overboard to damage her, he only cared for himself. Mufasa nodded slowly, "So that's where you were all that time? With her?"

Scar jumped out of the tree, landing gracefully, and began to stretch, yawning as he did. He spent an inordinate amount of time stretching, causing Mufasa to growl and Shenzi to roll her eyes. Just because he wouldn't throw her under the bus didn't mean he wouldn't annoy the hell out of her. "My dear brother, I thought you knew," Scar recovered quickly from the shock and his voice returned to that of a smooth, silky baritone.

Mufasa let out a sigh, it was in the past. He had to focus on the present. "I had been talking with my son-"

"Why _is_ she here?" Scar interrupted. He figured out what was going on and was doing his best to prevent the conversation from happening, though he did not doubt Shenzi was going to cover him. If there was one thing he knew, Shenzi would not sacrifice herself and her clan just to damage him. Not if what he thought was going on was actually going on.

"Shut your damn mouth and listen to your king," Shenzi hissed, desperate to end this conversation so she could go back to pretending Scar didn't exist. If he was content to stay away from his pride and she was to stay with the pride, they should never run into each other.

"My dear, I didn't think you would _deign_ to call another being your king," Scar said smoothly. Shenzi growled but Scar continued, "When we were young you already treated yourself as queen. You had those two males wrapped around your finger, even then… what were their names again?" he grinned.

"Scar," Mufasa warned, knowing that he was likely to upset Shenzi. And he didn't want his advisor to be upset. But Shenzi was stronger than that, she already had a retort.

"That's funny, you think one would remember their best friends. We were your best friends because you had _no one else_ … isn't that right, _Taaakaaaa?_ " Shenzi sang, grinning viciously.

Scar snarled and opened his mouth to retort, but Mufasa roared, _"Enough!"_ Silencing both of them. He turned to Shenzi, "If I had known this would happen, I would've left you behind."

Shenzi breathed out slowly, calming down, "In all fairness, my liege, you don't need my help in the first place. But if you wish to send me away…" she trailed off, realizing that she would be suggesting Mufasa send her away. She had to be here, to prevent Scar from somehow twisting the story against her.

"As I was saying," Mufasa glared at Scar before continuing, "My son told me a curious story. He said that you were the one to tell him about the graveyard, despite my specific instructions to never go there."

"Curious indeed," Scar said. "You know how young minds are, Mufasa. They only want to explore, telling them not to is like telling them that they should."

"Like you," Mufasa said. Scar growled but nodded his head reluctantly. He had indeed broken his own father's law against spending time with hyenas. "Are you saying that my son placed the blame for his…" Mufasa trailed off as he tried to think of the proper word to use.

"Wanderlust," Shenzi and Scar said at the same time.

"Wanderlust, yes. You are saying he blamed his desire to explore on you?" Mufasa said, not believing his son would do such a thing.

"Whatever it takes to be free from one's own responsibility, I suppose," Scar smirked.

Mufasa's eyes narrowed, but he eventually let out a sigh and said, "Very well. I shall take this as a coincidence then. Come now, Shenzi." Shenzi didn't immediately follow him, however, prompting Mufasa to turn around with a questioning raise of the eyebrow.

"I think I'm going to stay and catch up with Taka… Scar. It's been a while, ya know?" she said. Mufasa seemed to think about it for a moment, remembering the argument he had broken up. Eventually, he conceded and walked away, leaving Scar and Shenzi alone.

Scar rounded on Shenzi, "You feel safe enough to be alone with me?" Shenzi said nothing, knowing that Scar wouldn't dare damn himself. He eventually sighed and said, "Why'd you let me go?"

"I'm not like you Scar. I care about something other than myself," she answered.

"Perhaps," Scar said silkily, "So you're the king's new servant? I never thought I'd see the day, truly you've changed, Shenzi."

"Like I said, I care about something. And this is a warning, Scar. Just because I'm not with my clan doesn't mean you can be. _I will find out_. And don't think that if you threaten my clan I'd be willing to save either of us," Shenzi snarled and started to walk away.

"Whatever you say, my dear. Whatever you say," Scar smirked as she walked away. He began to chuckle when she was just out of sight. A few minutes after he could no longer see her he burst out into full blown laughter. _"Whatever you say."_

XXX

Three days passed since her conversation with Scar. Thankfully, she had not seen him since. She had not seen her clan since either. She had delved into her work with Mufasa, doing everything from acting as a proxy in ordering a zebra to stay away from an antelope, to quelling a complaint about the number of times one of the lionesses had been sent out to hunt. It was strange, she was becoming… bored.

It was as if Scar had ruined her perfect life by reminding her of his existence. Of evil's existence. But it had been three days and Scar had not made a move, so she assumed that he had given up. A vain hope at best, but it was all she could do to preserve what was left of her happiness.

Feeling the depression welling within, she had managed to find time to get away. She had been clever, however, and managed to convince Mufasa to spend some time with his son. Which freed Timon, so the two of them could go on a walk and catch up. Timon had spent lots of time exploring the entirety of the Pridelands, while Shenzi had spent her times hunting on the plains. She had yet to see the great canyon of her new home, so she let Timon lead the way.

Once there, Shenzi found herself captivated by the magnificent view that she decided she did not need to walk all the way down into the canyon. So she plopped down on a ledge overlooking the great gorge, Timon sitting next to her. The skies were blue and the sun was bright, illuminating the canyon such that not a shadow could hide.

As Shenzi took in the beauty of the canyon, they talked. She told him of all the work she had been doing over the past week. She avoided the subject of Scar and her clan, not wanting to anger herself. She told him instead of her hunting trips. Although he cringed when she went into bloody detail, he understood that she was a hunter above all else, and she loved the thrill of the chase.

He told her of the time he had spent with Simba. The many shenanigans the young cub could get into, though he admitted that cub tended to think more when Timon was around. Though that didn't stop the cub from climbing up a giraffe and throwing himself down its long neck like a slide. Shenzi rolled her eyes, that couldn't have ended well for anyone.

Timon told her about Nala and how she was always close behind Simba. Shenzi snickered, _they were already practically mates… a luxury I do not have,_ she chuckled softly to herself. Timon explained how he had taught the young lioness how to play chess, and that she was much better than Simba. Shenzi only chuckled, already planning to show the little cub who was boss. _I'm the master, the grandest master… the grandmaster. Grandmaster Shenzi, I like that,_ she smirked.

It was silent for some time after that, the two of them just enjoying the other's presence. Something that they had sorely missed over the past week. Shenzi could feel the cloud lifting from her mind, once again she was in paradise. Scar was dealt with, she got to see her clan weekly, and if she could just work in time with Timon, everything would be perfect.

As she was picturing this perfect life, she almost missed Timon standing and walking closer to the edge. Concerned, she snapped out of her fantasy and said, "What's up?"

Timon squinted before pointing down into the valley, "Is that Mufasa?" he asked.

Shenzi stood and walked as close as she dared to the edge before peering down. Sure enough, Mufasa's bright mane could be seen even from a distance. And a small yellow ball stood next to him, "And Simba too…" Shenzi trailed off, mind thrown into overdrive. Why were they down there?

"Do you feel that?" Timon said just as the ground began to shake. It started off soft, but quickly began to shudder as if someone was shaking water off of themselves. Timon was thrown off balance, but Shenzi managed to keep her footing as she watched hundreds upon hundreds of wildebeests rush down the hillside… right into Mufasa's and Simba's path.

Shenzi's eyes widened and her mouth opened in a soundless scream as the rumbling of the earth drowned out her cry. She nearly fell over the edge from all the excitement. She watched as Mufasa and Simba struggled to free themselves from the stampede. She watched as Mufasa managed to throw Simba from the crowd up onto a nearby ledge.

He then slipped back into the herd, drowning in it. Shenzi tensed and she considered throwing herself from the cliff if only to help Mufasa. But she stayed put, for she knew that she could not help her king. Her heart leapt with joy as she watched him pull himself free from the stampede. She watched as he climbed the edge of the canyon and Simba continued to climb higher. _He's fine, they're fine,_ she breathed a sigh of relief.

She turned her sight back to the stampede, still a few hundred wildebeests long. Why did they run? There must've been a catalyst. As she searched the herd for signs of predators, immediately thinking Scar, she nearly missed the earth-shattering cry of, _"AHH!"_ along with a cry of, _"NO!"_

Mufasa landed hard on his back, the stampede covering his form. Shenzi grit her teeth so hard her jaws became numb. The moment the last few wildebeests passed the prone form of the king by, Shenzi slid down the side of the gorge, running up to Mufasa. Simba reached him first, Shenzi stopping short… not able to go any further. _What happened?_ the thought reverberated within her.

Mufasa… was dead. Gone. For good. And Simba was crying over his still warm body. There were no last words, no hope for saving him. He was dead. Shenzi froze up, unsure of what to do. Should she comfort Simba? What was going to happen now? Timon walked up next to her, hand covering his mouth. He was equally unsure of what to do.

She was so frozen, she didn't notice Scar walk up behind the vulnerable cub and whisper something to him. The dust that the wildebeests had kicked up formed a cloud over the canyon, blocking out the sun and dampening vision. Shenzi could feel herself sink, _the light goes out with the king. Once again I am in the dark._

She barely registered Simba running past her, though she did notice Timon running after him. So she followed, ignoring Scar. Almost if she refused to see him. She had no proof. But she didn't need proof. She knew that Scar had been the one to slay Mufasa. She wasn't sure how, and she knew no one would believe her without concrete proof. So she followed Timon and Simba, hoping the cub would be able to shine some light upon the situation. She didn't notice that she was being followed.

Eventually, Simba and Timon stopped at a drop-off point, where the ground suddenly ended and met the sky. They turned to see Shenzi catching up to them. She breathed and opened her mouth to call out to him, but then she heard the excited barks and yips of hyenas behind her. She turned around slowly, only to be met by four hyenas, all growling, waiting to kill Simba.

Shenzi saw red, unable to identify the hyenas. She didn't care. They had killed Mufasa, the one who had given them so much despite hating them, and she would not let them kill Simba. So she lowered her body to the ground and let out a fearsome growl. The hyenas gave pause, as if considering whether or not to fight. Two of them seemed most hesitant, but when the other two began growling again, they prepared to fight.

They whispered something to each other, but Shenzi couldn't hear. She didn't need to hear. She was going to kill them. They rushed at her, hoping to overwhelm her with sheer numbers. It did not work as they thought it would.

She lashed out with her entire body, slamming into the leading hyena, tripping two others. As one of them rushed at Simba, she leapt over the staggered foes and tackled her former clanmate. She snapped into the hyena, tearing flesh from bone and covering the ground in blood.

The other three gathered themselves and prepared to attack again, only to be met by Shenzi head-on. She forced them back, grabbing and throwing one. She snapped at them as they surrounded and pounced on her, bringing her down to the ground. She kept biting and kicking, throwing them off only for them to pin her again. The bleeding hyena got up off of the ground and started to crawl towards Simba and Timon.

 _"RUN!"_ Shenzi cried out before screaming in pain when one of them bit down on her neck. She twisted around, grabbing the hyena by its ears and pulled hard, tearing the ear free. The hyena screamed and let go, giving Shenzi time to throw the other two off.

She didn't see, but Timon had grabbed a hold of Simba and they threw themselves off of the drop-off point. The bleeding hyena yelled something after them, but Shenzi wasn't paying attention. She had pinned one of her foes beneath her as she fought off the other. The bleeding hyena turned around to pull her off of his comrade, only for him to be kicked hard in the face.

Shenzi leaned down and gripped the hyena's neck she had pinned beneath her. She slowly increased pressure, savoring the flavor of her former comrade's blood in her maw, before violently snapping his neck. She let loose her hollow laugh as she observed her cowering opponents.

One was holding his head and howling loudly, completely missing his ear. She grinned when she saw her foe's ear lying on the ground near her, her teeth forming a feral smile. There was one behind her, but he was rubbing his jaw and bleeding heavily. He would not last much longer. Only one of her foes was unharmed. He looked extremely unhappy with what had happened, but Shenzi didn't care.

He held up his paws in surrender, but the red haze called for blood. She tackled him, despite his apparent surrender. She easily got a grip on his neck and he began shouting something. She ignored him and bashed him against a rock, momentarily silencing him. She slowly increased pressure…

"Shenzi! SHENIZI!" the male cried out, momentarily throwing her off out of her blood rage. She looked down, the red haze diminishing… it was Banzai. She had Banzai trapped in her jaws, she was about to kill him.

Realization dawned on her. The bleeding male behind her was Ed, how did she not notice that? The one she had torn the ear off of was Zuri. And the dead one was Mwashi. She had killed one of the few alpha females left in her clan… and yet she was still holding onto Banzai. _Should I kill him?_ the thought ran rampant in her mind before she eventually let him go, throwing him slightly against a rock.

He sat up quickly, breathing heavily. She glared at him, then at Ed, then at Zuri, _"What the fuck were you doing?"_ she all but roared.

"Helping," Banzai said. "Scar came by the other day. He said…" he hissed when he realized her tackling him had broken one of his legs. It was painful to even stand.

 _"He said what?!"_ Shenzi snarled, glaring at Banzai.

"He said to chase the wildebeests, he would do the rest. When Mufasa and Simba were dead he would let us back into the Pridelands. We're tired of waiting for you to broker a new deal, Shenzi," Zuri hissed in pain. She continued to grip her head, blood leaking onto the ground, getting in her own eyes.

"There _was_ no other deal!" Shenzi growled.

Zuri hissed again, "That's why we helped him, _ah, it hurts! You bitch!_ All we wanted was the Pridelands, and you couldn't even deliver."

Shenzi saw red again and she considered killing Zuri as well, but she managed to restrain herself, "You fools… you… fools. You don't even realize what you've done."

"We saved you, Shenzi," Banzai said. "You're back where you belong, with us. Scar had said that you lost your way, that we should help get you back on track." Ed giggled in agreement, though he choked slightly on his own blood. But he did not collapse.

Shenzi's eyes widened, _Scar!_ she mentally screamed. She threw her head back and _screamed_ as loud as she could. No real words. No real meaning. Not even a declaration of vengeance. She was just in immense pain.

Several hundred meters away, Scar sat looking at the dead body of his brother. Not a single drop of pity remained in his soul. He had planned this from the moment Mufasa had been chosen by their father. He had spent years loathing his brother, biding his time, waiting to strike. And finally… he was king. And Shenzi's screams _sounded so good to his ears._

XXX

 **Told you shit would hit the fan. I said from the beginning that the events would change, but I never said that the story would be completely different. I'm sure you all realized what was happening when Shenzi went to the canyon. Scar reigns victorious, but Simba and Timon got away. And Shenzi's left to suffer. So what happens next chapter? Obviously she's not happy, at all. Stay tuned to find out!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 - Dolore:

Author's Note:

 **Scar has won, just like he did in the original. We get to see the effects of his reign this chapter, as well as explore Shenzi's suffering. She lost a friend, her place in life, her happiness, and she gets to watch, helpless, as the Pridelands slowly die. Please, enjoy!**

XXX

And she was thrust back into the darkness. She stumbled around for the first day, completely silent, wandering around and wondering how she got here. Was this her fault? Was there something that she could've done?

She had screamed so loud and for so long her throat was raw and her voice was gone. Scar took control relatively easily, spinning a story about how Mufasa and Simba died by accident. She wanted so desperately to tell the pride the truth. That Scar had murdered his brother, but Simba got away. Maybe the lionesses would remain hopeful that their rightful king would return one day. But… she figured that hope would only inspire Scar to be more brutal than he already was. So she never mentioned it, ever.

She was demoted immediately. Zuri became matriarch in her place, despite her permanent disfigurement, the loss of her ear. It was the only reminder to the hyenas that she was still a force to be feared. Scar made her his advisor, a cruel taunt in her opinion. There was nothing she could do about it. He would kill her otherwise.

She held power over the other lionesses, she could order them to hunt and when to do so… but she was forbidden from joining in. She lost power over her clan, they no longer had to obey her orders, unless they came from Scar or Zuri themselves. Which they never did. She cut herself off from her former clan, as far as she was concerned, they were gone.

Scar had taken everything from her. She no longer had a reason to live, though she never tried to kill herself. Then Scar would truly win. She no longer had a clan, a family, nor a friend in the world. The lionesses weren't sympathetic to her problems, they were far too busy moaning about their own abysmal conditions. Scar didn't treat them with any respect, they were trash to him, just as he was to them before he became king.

Scar often confined her to his chambers. Sometimes she was given unreasonable requests. Kill this lioness, kill that one, she felt like a monster. More than she ever had before. She knew why Scar was doing this to her. It was revenge, it was always about revenge. She had undermined his plans and forced him to go behind her back to win.

Banzai was the only hyena to try and approach her after Scar became king and named Zuri matriarch. He had come preaching pure, sublime bullshit. He was just trying to save her, bring the clan back together, reunite them with their matriarch who had been torn from them. He _had no idea Scar was just going to replace her, and cast her down into the dust._

She had only laughed at him, sanity no longer a concern of hers. She told him to _go fuck himself._ "Never speak to me again," she had said. He gave her the most hurt, pathetic look he could muster, but she turned and stalked away. They never spoke again.

In a way, she couldn't blame the hyenas for doing what they did. She hated them for it, she condemned it with all her heart, if she had such a thing left, but she knew in the back of her mind that they were going to do it eventually anyways. The deal had been unfair, the only one it benefited was her. She was the only one winning… and it was unfair, she knew.

And yet she accepted it anyways. She just longed to be free. For so long the light seemed to burn her, taking her nearly a week to adjust to the brightness. And then, just as she had done so, the sky turned black and the sun refused to shine. A great cloud stretched across the Pridelands, rivaling that of the graveyard.

She wasn't free, not anymore. It had been only a few days, but she was considering throwing herself off of the top of Pride Rock. She was wondering if she _should_ care anymore. So what if Scar wins? He's already defeated the lions… _No,_ she had said to herself. She was the last thing standing before Scar's paradise. And she knew that if she didn't hold on, he would march across the world, spreading his darkness.

He seemed to contaminate everything he touched. The land, the lionesses, the hyenas, all contaminated. There was no saving any of them. Or her. It quickly made her bitter. It was too bad Scar was extremely paranoid, even in his victory. Otherwise she would've just killed him in his sleep.

But he hardly slept, despite it all, and surrounded himself with loyal hyenas when he did. She wondered for a time if the reason he barely slept wasn't paranoia, rather him murdering his own brother. But it wasn't long before she tossed those thoughts aside. Those were things Taka would've though. Scar cannot think such things.

So she laid on the hard stone of the king's chambers, breathing shallowly. In many ways, she was already dead. She sometimes wished Scar would walk through the cave door and just end it all. Death would be a sweet relief after this hell. But… she knew he wanted her to do it herself. Her ultimate defeat.

Scar walked through the entrance, smirk firmly in place on his face. She scowled at him, she no longer had to hide her distaste of him. No… distaste was too weak. She despised him will all her soul, if she had such a thing anymore. And he did her, though he had more fun with it than she did. Though, she figured it was because of her current predicament.

She wondered often if he would have fun in different ways if he could. If there was one saving grace to her situation, it was that the species barrier between her and Scar was absolute. There was nothing he could do to her outside of rake his claws through her skin. Though she doubted she would feel that at all, she had quickly become numb.

He sat across from her and began to draw in the dirt. His scratchings rapidly taking a familiar shape. A chess board. "I learned how to play a most fascinating game today. I had heard that you were the master at this game, I was wondering if you'd be willing to play with me, Shenzi," he grinned.

She turned to him. She no longer had to hold her tongue, she could let him know exactly how she felt about him. "Fuck you," was her simple response. He only chuckled before tutting, something he did far too often for her tastes.

"How pedestrian Shenzi, dear. You'll play with me eventually, otherwise you'll lose your mind," Scar said silkily before stalking away, leaving the dirt board on the ground. The moment he had left the cave she snarled and swiped her paw through the board, dashing its existence.

She breathed heavily as she stared at the dirt where the board once was. Was there any point to this? She clenched her jaw tightly, trying desperately to feel something. Nothing. Why was there nothing? She let out a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She would have to endure… she wondered how long she would last.

XXX

Years passed. Her mind spun as she tried to comprehend how long it had really been. Five years. Five years she had spent with Scar as her only real companion. Five years since she had seen either Timon or Simba. Five years since she had felt happy.

The great greens of the grasslands had shriveled up and died. The animals had fled. The lionesses were ordered to search far and wide for food, often coming back empty-handed. The hyenas quickly became angry and began to pester Scar. Scar quickly became even angrier, blaming her for all of their misfortunes.

She had said nothing, for she did not care. They could rot around her and she would feel nothing, just as she always had. She could rot as well, it no longer mattered. She wondered if it ever mattered in the first place. Perhaps she should've just sided with Scar and had this over with. Then at least she wouldn't have been treated like garbage.

Or would she have? She may have had a better life, but she would still feel the losses a thousand fold. Scar made her kill those unloyal to him because he knew each death would echo within her for eternity. But if she had sided with him, he would've made her kill those unloyal to him because he believed she enjoyed it.

No matter how much she thought or what she did, everything would've ended up like this. She was destined to live in a desolate wasteland, doomed to die alone. The clan, on the other hand, thrived. The only female in the clan was having cubs at an astounding rate, slowly they were regaining their numbers.

She wondered why Scar never tried to sell her to a particularly loyal male, like Banzai. Perhaps he was waiting until his support began to waver before he did so. In that case, it was only a matter of time.

She had finally been allowed free from the king's chambers. He had grown sick of her refusing to play him in chess. There was no one else in the clan left, he had said, he wanted to play her. He wanted so desperately to play her. But she refused. She always refused.

So she was finally allowed to leave. She wandered away from the Rock, wondering when Scar would come and fetch her. _Why do I stay?_ she pondered. It was a thought that had never crossed her mind before, slightly surprising her.

Why _did_ she stay? Was it because she knew she had nowhere else to go? Or that she would die on her own? But she knew the truth. She was waiting, waiting for when Scar finally died. It was a funny thing to wait for, as she would gladly make it happen tomorrow if she could… Scar never did let his guard down.

Scar had no heirs, which meant the pride was doomed when he died. When he died, the spell would break. The lionesses would finally fight back against the hyenas and Shenzi would sneak away. To do what, she did not know. But it couldn't be much longer now… Scar was old, he had to be close, right?

It was a fine line she was walking. So close to defeat, yet so far from victory. One misstep, one false move, and she would be finished. Or was she already finished? The thought ran through her mind… _Was this entire endeavor worthless?_ Surely Scar had counter measures in place in case he died without an heir. Surely he wouldn't let her live any longer than he did. The thought only served to numb her further.

Which is why it came to a shock to her when she stepped on a small, sharp stone. She paused in her step as pain jolted through her numb system. She felt… that. The sensation electrified her systems, bringing life back into her eyes.

She lifted up her paw to stare at the small stone. It seemed to burrow further into her paw from her gaze, causing more pain to spike through her nerves. She… _loved it?_ Was this what her life had come to? She grit her teeth together, grinding them amongst the others. _It was what she had come to be._

She pulled the stone free with her teeth. Small droplets of blood scattered onto the ground as she tossed the stone aside. A feeling struck her right in the gut. _Is this relief?_ she pondered quietly. It was relief, and with the relief came a light feeling, carrying away the depression and sorrow. It was happiness. She was happy she had removed the stone.

She grinned to herself, reinvigorated by the pain. She placed her paw down on the ground, intending to continue her romp until Scar came for her. She had something now. Even if it was as small as a stone being removed from her paw, she had something to hold onto. She could fix her own problems; she could endure the pain.

Pain jolted through her again as her paw met the hard, desolate earth. She chuckled to herself as she lifted her paw and found relief once more. She set the paw back down, delving herself into pain again. She walked, pain, relief, pain, relief, pain, relief…

Then the pain stopped. She had grown used to the pain, and it no longer ached when she walked. Thus she no longer felt relief from lifting her paw. She had become numb once more. _No, no, no!_ she mentally screamed. She had to feel it, she had to feel it again!

Thinking quickly, she slammed her formerly injured paw on the ground as hard as she could. A tingling sensation shook through her arm, causing her to groan. It wasn't enough… it will never be enough.

She lifted up her arm and, without thinking, jammed her claws as hard as she could into herself. Sweet pain lanced through her as she screamed. Her voice echoed throughout the Pridelands, but it was followed by an insane laugh. A laugh that only one in the throes of desperation could achieve.

 _I hurt myself today._

 _To see if I still feel._

She hissed in relief as she pulled her claws free. _More,_ she thought desperately. She stabbed herself again, and relaxed once more. It was no longer the relief from her removing the source of pain that was comforting her, it was the pain itself.

 _I focus on the pain._

 _The only thing that's real._

She kept stabbing, over and over again, laughing as she did. Her loud noises attracted the nearby group of hyenas that were busy digging into their last meal for a while. They were summoned by her laughs, recognizing them as hyena. She inched ever closer to her neck, wondering briefly if she should end it all.

 _The needle tears a hole._

 _The old familiar sting._

They rushed over to her, wondering what kind of a hyena made that laugh. That insane laugh. Shenzi had given up stabbing herself, by then. She wanted, no, needed _more_. She placed her leg into her mouth, intent on biting down as hard as she could. If she could break herself, she would be in eternal pain. _That's what she wanted._

 _Try to kill it all away._

 _But I remember everything._

"Shenzi? _Shenzi!"_ she barely recognized that voice as a haze descended over her vision so that she could not even see him. Her jaws cut into her skin, but she didn't have the strength to break bone. So she let go of her leg and rolled over to her back, screaming and laughing all at once. She never bothered to acknowledge the other hyena's existence.

 _What have I become?_

 _My sweetest friend._

"Oh God! Shenzi!" Banzai cried out as she convulsed and laid still, on her back. Her eyes fluttered a few times before laying still as her entire body relaxed. Though her blood still flowed, staining the ground red. "Get some leaves or something! We have to save her!" Banzai demanded.

 _Everyone I know._

 _Goes away in the end._

The other hyenas gave each other strange looks, deciding on whether or not to follow some random male's orders. They didn't think that she, the former matriarch, was worth saving. "Do it!" Banzai roared, inspiring the others to leap into action.

 _And you could have it all._

 _My empire of dirt._

"Hang on, Shenzi," Banzai urged as hyenas returned with what they could find. They found withered pieces of grass and few plants that could withstand the drought and the scourge. He took the pieces, cursing the Pridelands' sudden lack of resources. He placed them over Shenzi's bleeding wounds and pressed hard, hoping they stayed on.

 _I will let you down._

 _I will make you hurt._

Her bleary eyes regarded him halfheartedly. She barely managed to push his paws away, allowing her wounds to burst open with a fresh bout of blood. She didn't want to be saved. She wanted the pain to endure. She could feel herself weakening, but she couldn't begin to care.

 _I wear this crown of shit._

 _Upon my liar's chair._

Banzai growled and ordered the hyenas to hold her down as he held her wounds closed. She wouldn't be dying on his watch, no matter how much she tried. She mumbled something, but he couldn't understand her. He tried harder to close the wounds, demanding the hyenas just loitering around to go look for more make-shift bandages.

 _Full of broken thoughts._

 _I cannot repair._

He vaguely noted Scar stalking up behind him. Though she was entirely ignorant of the lion's presence. Scar's face was pulled into a wide grin. He thought she was dead for sure, gone for good. He repressed his snicker though, he didn't want to upset his most loyal hyena. "I would've given her to you, you know, if you had just asked," Scar said softly, though his smirk could be heard in the undertone.

 _Beneath the stains of time._

 _The feelings disappear._

Banzai gulped as she took a shallow breath, and then no others. He turned to look at Scar and finally, finally after five years, he saw him as the monster she always did. _How could I have been this blind?_ he thought to himself. But he said nothing to Scar and turned back to her.

 _You are someone else._

 _I am still right here._

The wounds were closing nicely, but she had still yet to take a breath. So he did the only thing he could think of. He pressed into her chest, trying to force her to breath. But she had no air, so he breathed into her. He alternated between breathing into her through her mouth and pressing down on her chest as many times as he dared, before repeating.

 _What have I become?_

 _My sweetest friend._

Scar watched the desperate Banzai try to save her. It seemed like he was failing, but eventually… eventually, she coughed and sputtered back to life. Her breathing was ragged and harsh, but she was alive. Scar growled, partially in disappointment, partially in excitement. Their game was not quite up.

 _Everyone I know._

 _Goes away in the end._

Banzai looked at her, so happy that he had saved her. But her eyes were hollow as they regarded him. She said nothing to him. Her wounds had stopped dripping, she was no longer bleeding, no longer dying. So she stood and walked away. Never once saying a word.

 _And you could have it all._

 _My empire of dirt._

Banzai watched her go, finally understanding what had happened to her. What had happened to him. What had happened to all of them. He had made a grave error, he saw that now. And… he feared that it was too late to truly save her, or any of them. The same feeling of emptiness encompassed his being as he stalked off to find Ed. Perhaps Ed would be able to ease this pain.

 _I will let you down._

 _I will make you hurt._

The void continued to consume her as she walked away. She didn't know what was left for her. A part of her realized what she had almost done. What she wanted to do. And she couldn't give less than a damn.

 _If I could start again._

 _A million miles away._

It was at that moment that the last of her fire was snuffed out. Her eyes were truly dead, hollow holes in her head. They perceived the world, but she could not feel any of the sensations she picked up. Everything turned gray. Nothing hurt anymore. She… was gone.

 _I will keep myself._

 _I will find a way._

XXX

 **I was going to do it… I was really, really going to do it. But I got a vision of a better ending, so Shenzi lives, for now. It was a close call and had a dual effect on Banzai (which is probably good). Originally, she was supposed to die (for good) and Banzai loses his mind… but there's a better ending. It's not often that I use song lyrics in my stories… but this one fit too well.** ** _Hurt_** **is by Nine Inch Nails, I do not own that song.**

 **I would like to make a note about a specific stylistic choice that I made in this chapter. You may have noticed that I only mentioned Shenzi's name in dialogue, everywhere else is just pronouns. That's because I was originally going to write this chapter in first person, but decided against it.**

 **I would also like to say that I am in no way masochistic. Sadistic, perhaps, but not masochistic. I know how to describe what it feels like to enjoy inflicting pain upon others, but enjoying pain inflicted upon the self is something a bit foreign to me. So, I hope that I managed to at least do a decent job in describing what Shenzi felt as she destroyed herself.**

 **Any who… Shenzi's gone through five years of torment, is there a light left that can save her? Or is she doomed 'till the end? Stay tuned to find out!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 - Fremor:

Author's Note:

 **Ah… this chapter was hard to write. Very hard to write. Mostly because I had been chatting with one of you and he brought up a scene he wanted in the story. Now, being the person I am, I jumped at the chance to improvise and came up with a scene that I hadn't intended to put into the story. Unfortunately, I took to the scene and created an entire separate ending to the story… now I'm, torn between the two. I thought long and hard on which ending I wanted and I came up with a simple question… what does Shenzi deserve? And, in the end, there was only one answer to that question, shaping this entire chapter. So please, enjoy!**

XXX

 _You should've died._

 _Death is too good for you._

 _Perish from the way, lest his wrath be kindled but a little._

 _In the end… we are nothing but dust._

 _And to the dust shall we return._

The voices set in. And they were loud, too loud for her taste. They screamed at her, some louder than others, but they all said different things. Some demanded blood, from her or from others, some just wanted to run. Where? They didn't know.

So Shenzi remained, just barely hanging from a thread. One thing was obvious, she had nearly killed herself. _Am I supposed to be relieved that I'm still alive?_ she wondered quietly. She had taken herself far away from Pride Rock, just trying to get away. She knew she would have to go back eventually, but at least she could pretend she was running away.

 _Run you coward._

 _Don't run, don't run, you must remain._

 _How does your own blood taste?_

 _Fear, fear, fear._

 _You're supposed to rot here, just like them._

She clenched her jaws tightly, there was no escape from the voices. She could barely hear herself anymore. Any thought she had she believed was someone else's. And that was the most terrifying thing, if she could even fear anymore, to think her thoughts were no longer her own. Had she lost her free will?

 _Of course, of course, of course._

They were inside of her, yet they didn't feel like her. How can that be? To have a part of yourself not quite be you? She shivered as she lied down, far, far away from Scar and Banzai and Pride Rock. Far away from the hyenas and the lions, far away from all her problems. And yet, the voices refused to be quelled.

 _Finish the job._

 _You haven't answered me yet._

 _Does hope remain?_

 _It's over, over, over…_

 _I want his head…_

She let out a sigh. She had had a close call, but was she still all right? She had been so close to the edge, so much so that the lines had blurred. She wanted, no, needed to throw herself overboard. So why was she still here?

 _The fool saved you._

 _You cannot kill the fool._

 _You want to kill…_

 _Both you and the fool._

 _But it eludes you, the strength to do so._

"Enough," she hissed to herself, quelling the voices for a moment. But they started right back up again, this time twice as loud. Screaming, demanding that she kill herself and the fool. They called for blood, any blood.

That's right, Banzai saved her. Even through all of this, he never once lost faith in her. He always… wanted… _Was he just being selfish?_ Shenzi pondered. Banzai might've only saved her to make her his. He was just… like all the others.

 _Selfish. Greedy. Gluttonous. Kill the fool._

She curled herself tighter in a ball, trying so desperately to ignore them. She didn't want to kill any more. She didn't want to have to kill anymore. She just wanted things to go back to the way they were, even if they were all suffering… at least they would be suffering together.

How could that be what she wanted? She was suffering now and she was suffering then. It seemed as if the suffering followed her, just as the darkness did. How she wanted the darkness to leave her be. How she wished she could just escape the suffering. But the voices only laughed cruelly.

 _No escape._

 _You must suffer._

 _You are one of them._

 _This is your sin._

 _My sin?_ she wondered. That's right, this was her punishment. She had done a horrible thing. What was that thing? What was her sin? She knew her punishment, but she couldn't remember what she had done wrong. She knew what the others had done wrong, had she done the same wrong as them?

 _You suffer because you exist._

 _Your existence is your sin._

 _You sin to sin._

 _You have become Scar._

 _And a scar you shall become._

She held her head in her hands, silently begging the voices to go away. _Scar?_ She so desperately wanted herself to be remembered as Shenzi… not Scar. She looked up and stood. She walked a bit further, towards the boundary of the Pridelands, she hadn't noticed how close she was.

She took a step forward, as if to exit the Pridelands, but something stopped her. She could feel it, literal chains holding her back. She was prisoner to Scar; she could feel their weight on her legs. She could almost see them stretch all the way back to his den, where he no doubt sat, holding the chains, laughing as he did.

 _Chained forever._

 _Eternity in chains._

 _A prison, a prison._

 _Free us._

She looked down in shame, turning around to walk back to Pride Rock. She was not strong enough to shatter these chains. At least not alone. But if she went back… she was just signing her death warrant. Scar would continue to toy with her until she finally dropped. Then he would kill her.

"Shenzi?" a voice sounded behind her, causing her to freeze up. The voices in her head continued to scream, but they were drowned out by her own thoughts as she struggled to place the voice. She could not, so she turned around, expecting a hyena or a lioness.

 _"Mufasa!"_ she cried out when she laid her eyes on the bright red mane and golden fur. In the darkness of the Pridelands, a single light seemed to break through, even as thunderclouds rolled in, illuminating him for her.

 _Dead._

 _He was dead._

 _How is he alive?_

 _Alive._

"No, Shenzi, it's me," the lion said. She had flinched away from him, cowering from his mere presence. She was so sure that she was seeing an apparition, a ghost come to claim her soul. Had she really survived? Or was that a dream?

"Simba!" a voice called out and a lioness trotted up beside the lion. _Nala!_ Shenzi recognized. She had been sent away to find food and had not been back for weeks, but here she was. And she found Simba?

"Simba? Why are you back?" Shenzi said slowly. Simba's mere presence silenced the voices in her head, lighting the fire in her eyes once more. She had something to protect, something to live for. That's right… Simba.

"I had the sense knocked back into me, and I have the bruise to prove it. This is my kingdom, and I'm taking it back," he explained.

Shenzi shook her head rapidly, "No Simba! You must leave. You must go back to wherever you were. You cannot stay here, lest Scar finds you!"

"I'm done running, Shenzi!" Simba growled, silencing her. She stared at him with wide eyes, awed by his changes. He didn't just no longer look like the cub she had cared for for ten days, he had a different mindset too. "I'm not hiding anymore."

"You cannot beat Scar," Shenzi all but whispered. "You cannot win."

"What happened to you?" Simba asked, noticing the change in Shenzi as well. He could see scars across her body and, though her eyes were now a brighter color than they had been for five years, they were still dull compared to her all those years ago in the graveyard.

"I have suffered for you, Simba. I refused to surrender, for your sake. As long as I am alive, Scar does not see the need to send hyenas out to find you, to kill you," she explained.

"None of that matters anymore, Shenzi. I don't care how many hyenas he has, I know that the lionesses won't fight with him, and I know you won't either. He doesn't have anyone left," Simba said.

Shenzi shook her head slowly, "No… Simba, I am no longer matriarch. My clan abandoned me, and I them. They are completely under Scar's influence; I can sway none of them."

Realization lit in Simba's eyes as he understood, "It still doesn't make a difference. One lioness is worth ten of your former clanmates. The battle with be swift but brutal. And I will not yield until I am either king… or dead."

Shenzi let out a hollow chuckle, "That's real nice, Simba. Even if it were true that a single lion was worth a dozen of my former clan… the numbers are still against you."

Simba opened his mouth to respond, but another voice intervened before he could do so, "Wow, you sure are a sight for sore eyes." That voice… could it be? Shenzi looked behind Simba to see Timon and a pig of some sort following behind.

"Timon…" Shenzi said softly. It was him, in the flesh. He looked exactly the same as he had five years ago.

"I don't know about you, but you don't seem right in the head at the moment. Don't you see? Simba's strong enough to face his uncle, he has a real chance," the meerkat said. He crossed his arms and glared at Shenzi, waiting for her to respond.

She chuckled again, "I can't believe it. You're back too, and just as foolish now as you always were. Why didn't you stay? Why did you come back?"

"What's worse, my dear? A foolish man who believes himself to be wise, or a wise man who knows himself to be a fool?" Timon said, grinning. She glared at him, but Simba placed a paw on her shoulder.

"Shenzi… please. I know that if we all work together, we _can_ beat Scar. Please, don't give up yet," he said.

Shenzi tensed for a moment, thoughts whirling in her mind. It felt so good for the gears to turn again. It felt like she hadn't truly thought in five years. "Alright… alright. I think I have a plan. But, before we do anything, I have a score to settle," she said, her eyes glowing brighter than they ever had before.

XXX

Scar sat on his stone throne, slowly losing his mind to boredom. How could being king be this easy and this boring? Scar rolled his eyes, Mufasa must've been too dumb to realize how boring it really was. He acted like ruling was difficult, but it was nothing more than a piece a cake to Scar.

Scar smirked to himself, "Oh, Zazu," he said. The bird, whom he had decided to lock up inside a mock prison using rocks as walls and bones as a cell door, stuck his beak out of the makeshift bars to address him.

"Yes, sire?" he said slowly. He had to be careful with what he said, one wrong word and Scar would fly off the handle. His rage was truly impressive, considering how calm Mufasa was all the time. But, that was the first thing the new king outlawed. Any mention of Mufasa in his presence was forbidden.

"Sing me a little tune, why don't you?" he grinned. That was his favorite part of the job, after all. Giving orders. Leave it to commanding Zazu to do something to rid himself of boredom. The only thing better… was commanding Shenzi to kill lionesses.

She was so emotional, it was pathetic. She believed that life had worth, value, but Scar never considered such a thing. It was always enjoyable to see despair set in more and more with each life she took. He never bothered to get his own hands dirty, except to kill his oaf of a brother, _thank god that's over with,_ he sighed to himself. Besides, it was always more fun to make others kill.

Zazu opened his mouth to start, but claws scraping against the ground, gave him pause. Scar glared at him, thinking he was being disobedient, but then he saw Shenzi walk into the cave. "Ah, Shenzi, dear. There you are. I was wondering if I would have to send your clanmates after you," he smirked.

But she didn't hesitate in saying, "They aren't my clanmates anymore, Scar. And besides, I was just out for a walk."

"Oh?" Scar said, noticing a change in her appearance, "You seem more _radiant_ than usual, despite all those scars on your body. Tell me, Shenzi dear, how was your brush with death?"

"Invigorating," Shenzi grinned in response, leaning in, giving Scar pause. "You should try it," she chuckled. Scar's eyes narrowed, he hadn't expected her response. He had thought she had been broken.

"I prefer life, thank you," Scar said. Shenzi chuckled again, _as if he could ever appreciate such a thing._ "What is it that you want, my dear?" he asked. This had been the longest the two of them had talked since he had taken over, and she seemed so much brighter. He would enjoy smothering that light, just as he had the Pridelands.

Shenzi grinned, "I've been hearing talk that you think you can best me in a game of chess. The last time I checked, I have never handed over the crown."

"That's because you refused to play," Scar said, realizing where she was going.

She continued to grin, "I hope you put up more of a fight than the Pridelands did when you took over." Her claws dug into the rock as she carved a board into the stone. Scar began gathering the pieces that they would use for the game.

They sat opposite of each other, Scar made the first move. Queen's knight's pawn forward one… a strange move, causing Shenzi to raise her eyebrow. He had no idea what was coming. She moved her king's pawn forward two spaces. He responded with queen's bishop moved in front of his knight.

"Tell me, Scar, do you remember what defeat tastes like?" Shenzi asked, moving her queen's knight. He responded with his queen's bishop forward two.

"I can't say that I do," Scar chuckled as she moved her other knight. He mirrored her move, smirking at the confusion glossing over her face. _I can't believe he's this stupid,_ she sighed and moved her forward pawn up, threating his knight and forcing it to move.

"Well I know the taste well, its residual has been lingering for the past five years," she hissed, moving her queen's pawn forward to support her forward pawn. He countered by moving his queen's knight into the corner.

"So you're just trying to wash out the taste?" Scar asked as she moved her dark squared bishop to pin his queen's pawn against his king. He responded by taking her supporting pawn, chuckling as he did, "I'm afraid victory eludes you, my dear."

"Does it?" she said sarcastically, taking back the pawn with her knight, causing Scar to grimace. He moved his king's knight back in front of his king's bishop's pawn, despite the danger it was in. The knight was trapped, and he was going to lose it anyways, why not make a fair trade? "How many moves do you think ahead?"

Scar chuckled, "A magician never reveals his secret." She castled king side as he brought his queen's knight ever closer.

"I would guess you think about three moves ahead, laughable, really," Shenzi snickered at the scowl on his face. She finally captured the free knight as he moved his king's pawn forward two spaces, threatening one of her knights. "But more than most."

"I wouldn't have won otherwise," Scar insisted as she pinned his pawn against his king. He retaliated by capturing the pawn that had taken his knight. He was down a few points, and his position was inferior to hers, but he hadn't lost yet. He believed he could still win.

"No, you were destined to win. I realize that now… there was nothing that I, or anyone, could've done to prevent that," she mumbled, moving her knight next to his pinned pawn. He moved his king's rook over one, pointing down at her king. "There was nothing… I… could've… done."

"My victory was absolute," he smirked at her distraught expression, thinking she had seen her defeat. But she moved the pawn in front of her king up one, dashing his plans. He retaliated by moving his queen's rook such that it threatened her other knight.

"Is it?" the simple question seemed to throw him off, as he did not immediately respond. She had looked up from the make-shift board to glare at him, her gaze causing him to falter. Had he truly won? Was there something he was forgetting? She moved her bishop to threaten his pinned pawn. He attempted to threaten her bishop by moving his rook up, but forgot that her knight was protecting the bishop.

"Tell me, Scar, do you know what the folly of all beings is?" she asked as she threatened his knight by moving her rook's pawn up one. He tried to threaten her queen with his rook, but it was for naught. She captured the piece with her knight, only for him to take back with his own.

"I…" Scar trailed off. He wasn't sure. But he didn't want to admit that he didn't know something, so he didn't give an answer. Shenzi chuckled as she took his pinned pawn with her bishop, only for him to recapture with another pawn… thus pinning that one.

"I had thought as much," Shenzi said simply, capturing the pawn with her rook. "Check." He growled and blocked with his light squared bishop. "Do you believe in God, Scar?"

"It depends. Is there a being greater than myself? I do not believe so. But, do I believe that there is someone up above, watching over us? I suppose there is," Scar said, she had not moved yet.

She had looked up at him and paused the game to keep talking to him, "The bittersweet pain amongst all beings is having knowledge with no power. You had knowledge, but no power, so you sought to take power for yourself. God or no God." Then she looked down at the board, deciding on her move.

"And?" Scar snarled, not seeing her point as she moved her knight, checking the king. He was forced to move, as his bishop was pinned. And his king only had one place to go. Shenzi chuckled at his outburst.

"Oh, Scar. You're _still so easy to aggravate_ ," she taunted. She moved her knight to threaten his queen, so he responded in kind. He snarled again as she took his knight with her queen. He attempted to attack her rook with the pawn in front of his king, but she accepted a trade by protecting that rook with her other rook.

"Careful, my dear. You wouldn't want me to get angry," he hissed as he attacked her bishop with a pawn.

"Don't I?" Shenzi asked, moving her rook to attack his king, "Check. That's your sin, Scar. Wrath." He moved his king away, so she saved her bishop by taking the free pawn. He moved his king again, thinking he was still in danger.

"Then that is why I am _feared_ ," Scar snarled, snapping his teeth at her. She did not flinch, instead she calmly moved her rook to check the king again.

"Check. Not so, Scar. It is why you are a _coward._ Wrath means picking on the weak, the defenseless, and those who do not wish to fight. It is the ultimate act of cowardice, which is how you managed to best Mufasa. Not through fair combat, but underhand _trickery!_ " she growled as she chased his king with her queen, checking him on a diagonal.

He snarled as she began to chase him around the board, forcing him to keep moving his king around, never resting. Until finally, he decided to block with his bishop. "It is why I _win_ , my dear. Surely you see that!" he hissed, trying to distract her just long enough for him to run away.

But she did not falter. "You mentioned earlier that you thought no being was greater than yourself. As in, you thought yourself to _be_ God… but, Scar, you are not God. You aren't even a man. You're nothing more than a stain upon this world. Checkmate," she said, capturing his bishop and ending the game. "I am still the champion of chess, Scar. Nothing you can do will change that, and I'll enjoy watching you fall."

Scar snarled and ground his teeth together, considering if he should kill her or not. A that moment, a new voice called out, "Scar!" Banzai, followed by Ed, waltzed into the king's chambers.

Scar groaned and rubbed his head, a bit woozy from his loss to Shenzi, "What is it now?" He turned his back to her and walked towards Banzai and Ed. She glared at him as he did, she hadn't managed to make him falter. She had only managed to make him angry.

"There's no food, Scar. It's dinner time, and we ain't got no stinkin' entrees!" Banzai growled.

"It's the lionesses' job to hunt," Scar sighed. _You don't behave like a king, Scar, more like a child,_ Shenzi hissed to herself.

"Yeah, but they won't go and hunt!" Banzai said.

Scar rolled his eyes and let out another groan, "Very well, I will speak to them." He made to leave the cave, but he stopped before exiting, "Shenzi, dear, I don't appreciate being humiliated, I hope you know what that means."

Shenzi hung her head slightly, but only to veil a smirk. She knew exactly what that meant. Today was her last day, but it would be Scar's as well. He clearly didn't know that Simba had returned, or that the moment he spoke to Sarabi… he was done for.

Scar sauntered out of the cave, leaving Ed and Banzai alone with Shenzi. Except for the silent Zazu, they were alone. Banzai stared at Shenzi, trying to think of something to say. She only turned her back to him and lied down, scattering the game to oblivion.

"Shenzi," Banzai mumbled, knowing full well that she would not respond to him. Not even her ears twitched, but he continued anyways. "Look… I know that we messed up… that I messed up. I see it now. I understand exactly what's goin' on and how we got here. It's all my fault."

Shenzi made no attempt to say anything, though she did think to herself, _about damn time._ He paused, hoping that she would say something… at least acknowledge his change. But he realized she was just going to remain silent, so he kept talking, hoping that something he said would snap her out of her depression.

"And I watched you, for five years, wondering why you were so upset… sure, you were no longer matriarch, but you were advisor to the king. I never quite understood… but after I saved you, Shenzi, I saw Scar for what he really was. A monster," Banzai spat.

Shenzi's ears flicked, signaling that she had indeed heard him. _It sounds so good to hear it from someone else's mouth,_ she thought, though did not speak. He saw her movement and realized that she was still listening, even if she wasn't going to say anything. So he kept talking.

"I… I want my matriarch back, Shenzi. Zuri is awful… you were always better than her. Please, take your place back and lead us away from this terrible place! I won't go without you, Shenzi… I…" he faltered and hesitated. She stiffened and nearly turned around to order Banzai to bring Zuri to her, so she could take her place back. So she would have the authority to order the hyenas away from the Pridelands. So that Simba could take his place back without a fight.

But she didn't, she couldn't. She stayed silent because Banzai needed to _know_ what his mistake costed. He couldn't wimp out, he had to stay until the end. And when Simba took back his place, Shenzi doubted he would be merciful… even to her. And she didn't want him to be, that would undermine the entire point.

"You could've run, you could've ran away, with Simba and the meerkat. But you stayed… you stayed, and perhaps it was foolish of me to think you stayed _for_ me. But, no matter what happens, I love you Shenzi. I always have, and I always will," Banzai all but whispered. And he walked away, Ed trailing behind him silently.

Shenzi could feel herself breaking. Her plan, her precious plan… could she allow Simba to slaughter her clan? Herself included? She had told him how he would be able to win, despite overwhelming odds… but she hadn't told him that, in the end, all the hyenas must perish. She heard Scar yell out, "Sarabi!" and she knew it was time.

She stood and turned towards the exit of the cave, no longer sure of herself. She had known, of course, about Banzai's affections towards her, and she knew it was what caused him to do such stupid things. But to have him admit his mistakes… was it enough? "I love you too," she whispered quietly as she stepped out of the cave, knowing that it was the end of an era.

XXX

 **Right, so this chapter was a bit difficult to write. I'll start with the story itself and then talk about the game. Right, so… like I said, I was on the fence about how I wanted to shape this chapter, but I think that the ending of this chapter is pretty decent. Unfortunately, I am once again undecided about how I want to end this story. But, I think I have an idea of what to do, so I'm just going to wing it… but, what did everyone think of the voices? I was going to arrange them in a pattern rather than just one line at a time, centered, as I did… but I was worried about what it would look like on mobile devices. So, I just kept it as I did.**

 **Now, I decided to do something a bit different and actually show you the game they were playing. That way you all could follow along if you wanted… finding the game I wanted to use was very difficult, as I wanted it to be a certain way. I had originally placed Shenzi's ELO around 2400 and Scar's around my own. So, my idea was to play a computer and take that game… unfortunately, though I was no match for the computer, it wasn't the overwhelming victory I wanted Shenzi to have (plus the current meta for my favorite opening annoys me…). So, I decided to set two computers against each other, unfortunately (although I did see a brilliant display of Alekhine's defense) they were too good and it devolved into a king and a single pawn vs a king each time. So, I decided to play as Shenzi (which may be why some of her moves are underwhelming… as they are my own) and have Scar be a 1200 computer. It took a few tries, but I finally found a game worth showing.**

 **Now, with all that said… what's going to happen? Simba's back and Shenzi apparently has a plan to help him win against Scar, but will she succeed? And what of the clan's fate if she does succeed? Stay tuned to find out!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 - Passio:

Author's Note:

 **Well, here we go. The last real chapter. I know, I know, it's sad. And this will be a long one because we have a lot of ground to cover. But don't worry, there will be an epilogue (and maybe a final author's note, if I feel like it). So please, sit back and enjoy the final chapter!**

XXX

Shenzi stepped out of Scar's cave just in time to see him snarl, "I'm ten times the king Mufasa was!" and slap Sarabi to the ground. _Here we go,_ Shenzi said to herself. Time to put her plan into action.

And, on cue, Simba appeared near the top of Pride Rock, growling deeply. A flash of lightning heralded his arrival as he leapt down from his post. The sky had turned completely black as the storm clouds covered what was left of the sun. Simba made his way towards his mother as Scar stared at him in disbelief, "Mufasa, no you're dead!"

Simba looked down at his mother, who too was in disbelief. He then turned to Scar and said, "No, Scar." Shenzi smirked, Simba had managed to replicate his father's voice. He looked identical to his father, and now he sounded like him too. They would use this to destroy Scar, or at the very least make him make a mistake.

Scar cowered in fear from his nephew mumbling, "No, no, no, you're dead… how can you be alive?" Simba began to approach his uncle, forcing the black-maned lion against a rock.

"You tried to kill me," Simba growled. Shenzi's grin widened further, she figured Scar might have an ace up his sleeve in case Simba ever did return. And that ace was convincing the young cub that he had been the cause of Mufasa's death. But Shenzi had flipped it on Scar, who was now stuck between a literal rock and an angry lion.

Scar opened his mouth to respond, but Simba, in a very Mufasa-like fashion, shouted, "Silence!" Scar immediately shut his mouth and dropped lower to the ground, using his body language to suggest he was surrendering. "And you killed my son as well. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Shenzi knew that Scar would likely find a way to deflect suspicion off himself, and she was exactly right. Scar pointed upwards, "See them up there?" he said, pointing to the entire clan sitting high on the rock, looking down at Simba and Scar, snarling as they did. "They think _I'm_ king."

"Oh? What are you now, Scar? If you don't step down, I will be forced to kill you," Simba threatened. Shenzi could practically see the gears in Scar's head turning as he stepped around Simba.

"Must this all end in violence?" Scar asked sarcastically. He approached the lionesses, smirk clearly on his face. _No… he couldn't have figured a way around this, could he have?_ Shenzi realized too late to stop him. "And what will become of me when I do step down? Will you exile me to the graveyard along with all the hyenas? Do you really think they'd stand for that?"

"Then will you fight?" Simba said hesitantly. It wasn't a part of the plan… he was supposed to shock Scar into surrendering, they weren't supposed to fight. But Scar did have the numbers advantage, if he wanted to fight… it might not end well. He threw a glance at Shenzi, which Scar noticed, but she was too busy calculating a different approach. _Is there something I missed?_ the thought made her nervous. She couldn't have missed anything…

"Like I said, they think I'm king. And a better king to them than you ever were!" Scar rounded on Simba, circling him. He could taste his nephew's panic and saw fear flash in his eyes. "The graveyard is a dreadful place, Mufasa, and I would _never_ exile anyone there. Why should I step down when I'm _better_ than you?"

Simba hesitated in his response, prompting Scar to continue. "Tell us, Mufasa, if you are truly the rightful king, then where were you these last five years? Surely you weren't cowering, were you? I did try to kill you, and for very good reason!" Scar paused and turned back to the lionesses. "Mufasa is not _worthy_ enough to be king! Look at how he treats his subjects! Look at how he let you all remain thinking he was _dead_ for five years!"

He turned back to Simba and, with hyenas streaming behind him, began to back him against the edge of Pride Rock. Scar turned and gave a passing smirk to Shenzi, the only hyena not ganging up on Simba. _He knows,_ she realized. She let out a snarl, but did not move, it was up to Simba to save himself. Simba kept being pushed further and further against the edge, there was nothing she could do. "You are not _worthy!_ I am the rightful king!" Scar snarled, causing Simba to trip over the edge.

He managed to save himself by grabbing onto the edge. His claws scraped against the cold stone as lightning flashed, striking the dry ground. The dried-out brush caught fire, which quickly consumed the land around Pride Rock for nearly half a kilometer, in just a few minutes. Simba struggled to right himself, but Scar didn't let him gain a footing.

"Isn't that right, Simba?" Scar smirked, pausing to allow the struggling lion to come to the realization that the jig was up. "You ran from your fate for five years, and now you come back, trying to take the throne from me?" He grabbed Simba by the paws, causing the dangling lion to roar out in pain.

"This is just how your father looked before he died," the still grinning lion said smoothly. Simba writhed in pain, still trying to pull himself up. But Scar had him firmly pinned. Scar leaned down to whisper in his nephew's ear, _"And when you're gone, I'm going to kill Nala and your mother… as well as Shenzi. This was no doubt_ _ **her**_ _idea."_

Simba's eyes widened as he roared in righteous fury, throwing himself upwards, slamming into and surprising Scar, before pinning the confused lion against the ground. "No! Bastard!" he cried out in his normal voice, dropping the mask of Mufasa.

"Simba…" Scar choked out as his nephew placed his paw against his throat, beginning to choke him out. The pinned lion hissed in pain as Simba's claws jammed into his throat.

"It's over, Scar! Surrender or I'll kill you," Simba growled. The lionesses, who were confused about what was going on, quickly figured out that Simba had tried to force Scar to leave peacefully. They would need an explanation, but that would come later. They knew now that all they needed to do was protect their true king.

Hyenas reacted to the threat quickly, swarming over Simba and pulling him off their king. Simba didn't have enough time to kill his uncle as he was forced on the defensive, batting at hyenas and swatting them aside. The lionesses were quick to rush into battle as the fire raged around Pride Rock, starting to creep up the side.

Shenzi hesitated only a moment before she too threw herself into the fray. She had watched Scar slink away, but it was not her job to fight him. She would help free Simba, who would go on to fight Scar, while she and the lionesses kept the sea of hyenas at bay. The lionesses in question saw her fighting her own clanmates and realized the former matriarch was on their side. It surprised them, but they fought on nonetheless, not caring as long as she was an ally.

The lionesses used their strength and claws to fight the sea of hyenas, tossing them aside with large gashes on their sides, or throwing them off of the Rock. The hyenas that encountered a lioness mostly survived, as they would run off when wounded, or had a chance to escape the fire… but Shenzi was merciless. She would grab the surprised hyenas by the back of the neck, most of them hadn't realized she was an enemy in the heat of battle, before breaking them. She killed each one she encountered, not wanting them to live on.

And they didn't deserve to live on. The swarm of hyenas began to break apart and try to overwhelm the lionesses by isolating them and fighting in groups of four or five, but they were still outmatched. Simba managed to get away, and Shenzi followed him, making sure to keep hyenas off his back. Eventually, the two of them spotted Scar trying to get to higher ground unseen.

As they did, loud snickering could be heard as a large group of hyenas approached them from the rear. Shenzi turning around and shouted to Simba, "Go! I will deal with them!" Simba placed a paw on her shoulder, a silent cry to stay alive, before running after Scar. If he could kill the traitorous lion, the entire battle would end.

The hyenas were clearly apprehensive about fighting her, as they knew she was still a force to be reckoned with, and she was without mercy. They only wanted to kill Simba. She growled at them, a reminder that she stood in their path, so they charged at her. But she was ready.

She felt the red haze descend over her vision and she could no longer tell who these hyenas were. Which meant she wouldn't feel their deaths as she met them head-on. She kicked one off the ledge, smirking at his scream as the fire devoured him. Or, she would've smirked if she hadn't grabbed one of them in her jaws and tore flesh from bone. He too screamed as she tossed him aside, knowing that he was falling to his doom.

The other five were a bit more defensive, but she didn't hesitate to attack them. They formed a simple defense pattern, but she barreled through their line, pinning one of them, batting one aside with her paw, latching onto another's neck and tearing his throat out. She pivoted on the body beneath her, lashing out at the remaining hyenas, tearing into their skins, blood leaking from their wounds. She remained unharmed.

Then she began killing them, grabbing one and tossing him into another, throwing both from the cliff to their fiery fates. She finally let the pinned hyena up, only to grab him by the throat and use him as a shield against the only remaining hyena. _Crack._ And she dropped her makeshift shield.

"Shenzi, Shenzi… please," the remaining hyena begged, but she did not hear him. She refused to hear him. She backed him against the ledge, he continued to plead for his life, but she was not in a forgiving mood.

"You lost the right to live when you killed this land," she hissed, shoving him off the ledge. He screamed the entire way until there was an audible _crunching_ sound as his body splattered against the hard ground. The fire quickly consumed what was left of him. Shenzi turned away from the ledge, intent on hunting down more of her former clanmates. _Where is Zuri?_

"That's enough Shenzi," the voice did not bring her out of her blood-rage, but it did give her pause. It was Banzai. The one voice she could recognize. The one hyena she could still see, even when she was blinded by rage. The one hyena she didn't want to kill.

She didn't say anything to him. She didn't want to say anything to him. She had decided. She would not kill him, and if he managed to survive the battle… she would let Simba do the job. She was much too weak to kill him. She hated herself for it. "Please stop… Shenzi. You have to stop!" Banzai cried out, trying to pierce the veil. But he didn't even make a dent.

She didn't pay any attention to his words, instead, she focused on the fighting around her, wondering where she was needed. The lionesses were still fighting strong; none had fallen yet and the clan had clearly taken heavy losses. There was even a monkey, one that she recognized as Rafiki, fighting. She snorted at that, but figured the more the better chance they had at victory.

But, at that moment, she saw Timon, of all creatures, run into the king's chambers, three hyenas chasing him. Panic welled up inside of her, Timon stood no chance against the hyenas. _What is he doing here?! I thought I told him to stay out of this!_ she mentally screamed. The haze vanished, she could see once more.

She took a step forward, but paused when she heard loud snickering. She looked up to see the source of the snickering. She was met with the smirking face of the one-eared matriarch, Zuri. Her wound had healed poorly, as part of her scalp was still an angry red and showing for all the world to see. Behind her sat twenty of her best soldiers. Shenzi growled, feeling the blood-rage rising again.

But they didn't attack, rather they turned and walked away. Shenzi grew confused, wondering why they wouldn't… _Simba!_ she realized. They were heading off to where Scar and Simba were fighting. Alone, Simba was likely to best his weaker uncle, but with over twenty hyenas to tip the balance… it would be a very quick fight.

 _But Timon…_ she wanted to save her friend, but she also needed to stop those hyenas. If she managed to kill Zuri… she might be able to wrest control back and order her former clan to stand down. It would give Simba the victory he needed. Her mind pulled at her to go and fight Zuri and her lackeys… but her heart tugged her towards saving Timon. She wasn't sure what to do… she couldn't…

She was so close to breaking apart. Her heart, which she thought she had lost so many years ago, and her mind, which she thought had decayed long ago. Just as she was about to scream out in agony, she felt someone nudge her. It was Banzai.

He had seen her struggle and realized what he had to do. "Go… stop Zuri. I'll save Timon," he said softly. In that moment, she felt her soul soar. She saw Banzai… truly saw him once more. And she couldn't help but feel a tear streak down her cheek. He was on her side… even after all of this.

She ran towards Simba and Scar and Zuri, knowing that she only had to hold on long enough for Simba to win. But Banzai's voice gave her pause, causing her to turn to see him looking up at her, "Don't die on me!" he cried out as he rushed towards Timon.

She knew he was just being selfish, a being such as him was incapable of doing anything even remotely altruistic. And yet… she so desperately wanted to believe he was helping her because he knew she was right. Not because he wanted her to look at him in a good light once more. She ground her teeth and finally, when he was almost out of earshot, she called to him. The first time in five years she had spoken to him, "I love you!"

It was all Banzai needed to run faster. His heart pounded faster and faster as he rushed to Timon's rescue. He burst through the entrance and, before the other hyenas could even question why he was present, he barreled into them, tearing them to shreds. Sure, he was just selfish, but he was selfish _for_ Shenzi. And he promised himself that he wouldn't make her regret her words. He would survive… and so would she, no matter who won.

"Zuri!" Shenzi growled, causing the large group to pause. The turned, seemingly as one, and the matriarch made her way to the front. She smirked at the former matriarch, knowing that, even for all her strength and intelligence, even Shenzi couldn't stand against such numbers.

"Shenzi, we were beginning to wonder if you had gone mute. Tell me, what do you plan to do? Surely you can't be so foolish to think you can fight all of us," she grinned, stepping forward, her lackeys surrounding her.

"No, but I wondered if you were brave enough to fight me alone," Shenzi said, head held high, "Like a real matriarch." She smirked at the grimace that passed Zuri's face. Shenzi had figured that the "matriarch" was sensitive to being compared to Shenzi herself. As she couldn't compare to the real deal in any way, shape, or form.

Zuri ground her teeth, but eventually sighed, "That would be suicide, Shenzi. I know I cannot match you, I don't need you to prove that to me. I much prefer a fair fight, twenty to one sounds about right, don't you think?"

Shenzi growled, her threat not enticing Zuri to fight alone, but stood her ground. Time seemed to slow down as the swarm of hyenas bared down on her. Her mind was thrown into overdrive as she picked out weaknesses, deficiencies, and angles of attack. Where her strength failed, her mind would succeed.

She threw herself at one of the leaping hyenas, latching onto his neck and throwing him off the ledge before swinging around and swatting a different attacker. The momentum she had gathered caused the blow to be audible as the hyena stumbled and accidentally fell off the edge as well. Shenzi didn't take the time to grin as she rolled to the side, dodging the swarm.

She continued her attack, pivoting around the mass of hyenas, tossing them into each other and off the ledge, slowly whittling down Zuri's numbers. Zuri herself stayed back from the fight, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Shenzi kept fighting, even as she was surrounded by the hyenas. It seemed as if for each one she killed, another took his place. _Which means others are coming as reinforcements… have the lionesses failed?_ she wondered as she grabbed a hyena with her claws and ran them through his skin, leaving large gashes in their wake.

Eventually, she was completely surrounded and losing hope. Just as she snapped yet another neck, something hit her from above, sending her tumbling down to a ledge below. Zuri had climbed higher on the Rock so she could attack from above. And Shenzi didn't see her as she was busy with the hyenas in front of her.

She cursed as she righted herself, she was still alive. The ledge seemed to be only a few feet below the part of the Rock she had just been fighting on. She had gotten lucky that Zuri hadn't thrown her off the Rock, as she had done to so many of her former clanmates. She turned and realized that there was a rock, and fire, blocking her path. She had nowhere to go except forward, but the mass of hyenas swiftly blocked the exit.

"Shenzi!" two voices cried out as three shapes slid down the rock next to her. The voices belonged to Banzai and Timon, and the third shape took the form of the pig Timon had not introduced to her. Not that she cared, as long as he planned to help her out of their current predicament.

"Stooge, Banzai, pig," she greeted gruffly, never looking away at the wall of hyenas, Zuri in front of the mass. She could _feel_ Timon grimace beside her. "What's the plan?" she hissed quietly as the mass started approaching. There was no room to get past them.

"Man, I definitely did not miss the nickname, Shenzi Marie," Timon complained, walking forward. "But I do have a plan." The hyenas stopped when he was only a few meters away, staring at him hungrily.

He dropped to his knees and clasped his hands together, "Please don't eat us!" he begged. Shenzi immediately slapped a paw to her head, _This was your plan?_ she sighed. The hyenas turned to each other, giving each other looks, silently asking if the meerkat before them really believed that they would spare any of them.

Shenzi pricked her ears as a strange sound hit them. Something, or someone, was _scraping_ against the ground beneath them. It only took a few seconds before she realized that it was something digging beneath them. Her eyes widened when she understood what Timon was doing… he was stalling.

"That ain't gonna happen, morsel," Zuri laughed, the hyenas behind her echoing her laughter. They began their approach once more, Timon leaping up from his kneeling position just in time for a pair of jaws to snap where he once was. He backed away towards Shenzi and the others.

"Well that didn't work… a little help, please?" Timon hissed to Shenzi. She took a quick look behind her to see the pig and Banzai shrugging together. Although the pig seemed to know what was going on, Banzai was completely lost.

"I've got nothing Stooge," she hissed back at him. The blaze was starting to become unbearable. If she had thought the sun was bad… the fire was so much worse. The fire burned the air, devouring the oxygen and making it difficult to breath. She could feel the fire with each breath, as it seemed to burn her from the inside out.

"I've got an idea, but you aren't gonna like it," he whispered as Zuri made it to just a few meters away from them. Shenzi looked down at him, finally breaking her line of sight away from the approaching swarm, and shot him a look that said, _I'm up for anything._

So, he got down on one knee and took Shenzi's paw in his smallish hands. _Oh, god, here we go,_ she realized what he was doing. The action gave Zuri and her clan pause as they stopped mere meters from Timon and Shenzi. "Shenzi Marie Predatora Veldetta Jacquelina Hyena, I don't want to die without at least saying this. I love you Shenzi, will you marry me?"

The effect was immediate, all their jaws dropped to the ground. Banzai nearly passed out and even the pig was confused beyond belief. Zuri and the hyenas knew Timon, they had seen him around and had known that Shenzi had taken the poor soul in… but they hadn't suspected that they duo harbored feelings for each other. They were taken completely by surprise, stunned speechless.

 _I'm never going to live this down,_ Shenzi sighed to herself, but played along nonetheless. "Timon Stooge Berkowitz," Shenzi said, not knowing his middle name was, so she made it up. She watched him flinch slightly, but noted that she had indeed referred to him as Timon. "Truth be told, I've been lying to myself as of late. You've always been so open, and I had always shot you down."

 _I hate myself,_ she growled internally, but kept the act up. It was the only thing keeping the swarm from overcoming them. "So in our last moments, of course I'll marry you!" She allowed her voice to raise a few pitches in faux excitement.

Timon, trying his best to suppress a snicker at her position, said, "That's great! So… uh… when do you want the wedding?" Truthfully, he didn't expect her to actually _go_ _along_ with him. He had always been more willing to poke fun at her in this regard, but she had always vehemently refused to play along, even for the sake of a joke. But that's what made it funny, her refusals. Now that she was actually going along with him… it was even more hilarious than he could've ever imagined.

Shenzi risked a glance at Zuri and her former clanmates, their jaws were still hanging limply from their faces, still stunned. She just had to bring this home, buying them the rest of the time they needed. "How about now?" she said, gesturing to Timon's pig companion, who had managed to shake himself out of his stupor. She was unable to say the same about Banzai, who was clearly struggling not to fall over.

"Pumbaa, my dear friend, will you preside over this marriage?" Timon asked, ordaining his friend as their chosen minister.

The pig stepped forward, tears welling in his eyes, "I'd be honored to be the one to marry you off. Can I be your best man as well?"

"Sure, whatever you want, buddy," Timon said, false tears flowing as well. Only Shenzi managed to stay composed, though she did have to repress a snicker, _perhaps that would make Banzai a bridesmaid._

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…" the pig started. It was at that moment that the hyenas started to come to. Few of them understood what was going on, but among those few was Zuri.

One of the male hyenas leaned over and whispered to his friend, "Hey, should we really be just standing here and letting this happen?"

The friend in question wiped a tear from his eye and said, "Why would we interrupt something this beautiful, man?"

Zuri rolled her eyes, "Alright, that's more than enough of this charade. Time to dine, boys!" She began moving forward again, but a few of the hyenas stayed behind, still confused about what was happening.

At that moment, a head popped out of the ground, drawing Shenzi's and Timon's attention. "Now?" the female meerkat asked.

"Sure, whenever you like," Timon said calmly, despite his internal panic. Perhaps he was having a bit too much fun… The meerkat disappeared from view and muffled shouting could be heard before a huge crack opened up in the ground.

The advancing hyenas immediately began to back away from the cracking. Shenzi wrenched her paws free from his grip and let out a sigh, "What did you do?" she asked.

He smirked at her, "We dug a tunnel." She rolled her eyes, knowing what it meant for him to concede digging was the best way to solve their problems. But, the cracking stopped short of trapping the hyenas.

The female meerkat popped back up, with an elderly male by her side, "It's stuck!" the male shouted, clearly thinking he was doomed. The group of hyenas began to advance yet again, prompting Timon into action. Shenzi's eyes widened when she saw that fire in his eyes as he charged forward.

 _He's going to die,_ was the only thought running through her head when she leapt forward with him. She met the swarm head-on, colliding with Zuri and several other hyenas as Timon dove under their paws and into the collapsing tunnel. Shenzi fought with all her might for a few precious seconds until she was overwhelmed and pinned to the ground. "I'm going to enjoy killing you," Zuri hissed just as Timon rammed his body into the one support beam that refused to budge.

His valiance allowed the tunnel to finish its collapse, opening up a huge hole that swallowed the hyenas. "I'll see you in hell," Shenzi growled out as she too was consumed. The tunnel was long and winding, but it eventually spat them up at the base of Pride Rock, just in time to see Scar tumble down the side of the Rock.

He landed hard, but managed to right himself. He wasn't dead yet. Shenzi immediately rounded on him, "You've lost, Scar! How does defeat feel?" Zuri managed to wedge herself between Shenzi and Scar, protecting him. "Move, Zuri. I'm going to kill him."

"No, Shenzi. I won't let you. He may have lost Pride Rock, but he can lead us to new heights," she said. Scar instantly affirmed what she had just said, desperate to retain his army.

"Don't you see that he'll just destroy everywhere you settle? Don't you see that it is _his_ fault you lost the Pridelands?" Shenzi snarled, lowering herself, preparing to fight.

"So what? Why should we care if he destroys everything? As long as we have a place to live and have food to survive… I don't mind moving every few years. I care about the clan, Shenzi, and I'm willing to do _anything_ to protect it!" Zuri said, standing tall, thinking that Shenzi would surrender.

Shenzi reared back in surprise, "Then you are damned just like him! You are more than just gluttonous now, Zuri… you're doomed." She let out a loud cry as she leapt at her, red haze setting in. She tackled Zuri before she, or any of the other hyenas could intervene.

Shenzi slapped her opponent down and latched onto her neck, tossing her around. The other hyenas watched in shock as their matriarch was man-handled like a naughty cub. Finally, Shenzi slammed her against the ground and began to crush the life from her.

Zuri coughed and sputtered, but eventually laid still. Just long enough for Shenzi to give a sickening crunch to her neck, ending her life for good. She glared at Scar, blood staining her muzzle. "It's over, Scar. Checkmate," she growled. She then turned to her former clan, **"I am the matriarch!"** she declared, "And I order you to _stand down!_ "

And they did, immediately backing away. "It's just you and me now, Scar," Shenzi growled. She heard something tumble to the ground and roll for a few feet. She didn't look behind her, but she knew it was Banzai that had gone down the hole to find her. To make sure she was fine.

"Is that what you really want, Shenzi? To fight me alone?" Scar hissed, lowering himself. He was bruised but not beaten, and she had taken his army from him. By killing her, he would regain control.

Scar pounced on Shenzi, hoping to pin her, only for her to slip through his claws like water. She easily found his weak underbelly, clawing and biting him. She rolled to the side, avoiding a clumsy counter attack. "Simba may be just a learner, but I have been fighting all my life, Scar. And I am more than capable of taking on a weakling such as yourself!" she growled as she latched onto his leg and easily snapped it.

He limped away from her, hoping to gain some distance between them. She continued her advance, not letting him get more than a few seconds' rest. "Shenzi, please! We're friends, remember? I… never… meant… I'm so sorry! I'm sorry!" he begged.

Shenzi shook her head, "No Scar, you're not capable of regret, sorrow, or forgiveness. Thus, you deserve _no mercy_ , just as you would do to me. What you _intended_ to do to me!" But, just as she had finished speaking, he swiped his paw through some still burning embers, flinging them in her face. She screamed and flinched, giving him the time he needed to gain the advantage.

He turned the tide of battle quickly, pinning her to the ground, his claws against her throat. "Funny thing is, you might have a point there," he snickered, "But I'm afraid that I'm doing what I have to. Taking your life and my clan back!"

Shenzi snarled as his claws cut deep into her throat, but they never got to anything vital. "No!" the cry rang out throughout the burning battleground as Banzai leapt on Scar's back, biting into the back of his neck. Scar roared in pain and bucked, trying to throw Banzai off of his back.

The other hyenas realized what Banzai was doing and they quickly joined in. Scar had lost. Zuri had lost. But Shenzi had won, and she needed their help. Matriarch or not. They easily pulled the weak lion off Shenzi, allowing her to stand. They brought him down as they devoured him while he still breathed. Banzai limped over to her, hurt from being thrown from Scar's back. "It's over," he sighed as the light finally left Scar's eyes and the fires consumed Pride Rock.

XXX

Then the rain came, suffocating the fires and washing the bones and death from the Pridelands, revitalizing it. _Rebirth,_ Shenzi sighed in relief as she heard Simba roar. The roar of a king, so much different than that pathetic sound he made as a cub. The lionesses echoed that roar, but the hyenas remained silent. They did not deserve to celebrate.

Shenzi led the clan around the rock as the sky cleared and light once more shone down on the Pridelands. And once again, it burned her, just as it did the clan. She waited, head hung low, for Simba to address the clan. The lionesses swarmed the area, blocking off escape routes and surrounding Simba. Shenzi turned her head slightly and did a quick headcount. Excluding her and Banzai, there were only twenty hyenas left.

"Shenzi!" Simba called down from Pride Rock. He didn't need to say anything more as she started the climb back onto the rock. Banzai and the clan watched her go, knowing that they were likely facing banishment once more.

Shenzi made it up to Simba's position near his chambers and touched her nose to the ground. To her surprise, Simba copied that movement, bringing himself to the ground. The lionesses around Simba, seeing what their king was doing, did the same. "No, Shenzi. You bow to no one. Without you, this could've never happened."

"Without me, none of this would've never _had_ to happen. I failed on too many levels to deserve praise, Simba," she said softly. "Not just the failure of my plan, but my failure to recognize when I had lost the clan, when Scar was going to take over, and my five-year failure to take back the Pridelands."

She vaguely noted Timon and the pig walking up next to Simba and sitting beside him. Simba, recognizing their presence, said, "Timon told me what you have done for us today. Not only have you fought your own kind, killed your own people, but without you, the hyenas would've tipped the balance in Scar's favor, killing me."

"Then I can die knowing I did some good in the world. That I righted all my wrongs," Shenzi said somberly.

Simba raised an eyebrow, confused by her pessimism, "What do you think is going to happen to you?"

"Death… or banishment," Shenzi answered immediately. "And whichever you chose, must apply to me as well. I am equally as guilty as them."

Simba seemed to think for a moment, "No, Shenzi. You aren't, even if you believe you are. You never made a mistake and you did your best, despite it all. And you've suffered enough, I would think. Five years in hell and then the slaughtering of your own clanmates, surely that is enough?"

 _Is my past suffering enough to pay for my sin?_ the thought ran rampant in Shenzi's mind as she tried to decide if Simba was right or not. Eventually… she bowed her head, unable to say a word. She didn't know, she didn't know. So, she stayed silent.

But she felt a paw on her shoulder once more, drawing her out of her inner loathing to see Simba smiling down at her, "I would never condemn a creature to death, Shenzi. I want you to know that your clan _can_ stay in the Pridelands. There are few enough of them and I believe they are willing to listen to their matriarch."

"No, they aren't. They can't deserve this, they can't be allowed to stay… they will never learn otherwise," Shenzi said softly. Even if she couldn't bring herself to damn herself… she could at least remain strong enough to punish the clan.

"I heard what they did for you, Shenzi. I heard that Scar had you pinned and they turned on him, overwhelming him, and killing him," Simba said, trying desperately to change her mind. _How can she believe her own clan deserves death?_ he wondered.

"They only turned on him because it suited them. They are traitors, and cannot be trusted. If I am to stay… then they must leave," Shenzi finished. Simba nodded slowly, understanding the gravity of her situation. She so desperately wanted to be punished with them, she knew that she deserved to be punished with them. And yet, Simba would not allow it.

Banzai and the clan watched as Shenzi and Simba walked to the ledge of Pride Rock, the huge outcrop the overlooked the entire gathering of hyenas. Shenzi stepped forward and yelled out, "By decree of the king of the Pridelands, you are all hereby _banished_ for eternity! Leave and _never_ return!"

Banzai's eyes widened in fear, she was getting rid of them. All of them. The hyenas turned to each other and began muttering among themselves. There was not a single female among them; left alone in the graveyard… they would perish. One of the hyenas growled and yelled out, "Damn you, Shenzi! You've sentenced this clan to extinction!"

A few of the other hyenas echoed that cry, but Banzai remained silent, Ed sitting surprisingly quietly beside him. They were doomed. _"You have sentenced yourselves!"_ Shenzi snarled loudly, silencing the angry hyenas. "You betrayed _me!_ And for what? A few years of the good life? _You deserve to perish._ "

The hyenas, realizing that they had nothing left to say, turned and walked towards the graveyard. None of the lionesses followed, knowing that they did not need to force the hyenas to leave. They had been beaten. Only Banzai and Ed remained, stunned by Shenzi's decree. They didn't want to believe that after all they had been through, Shenzi would just abandon them.

But Banzai had figured this was coming. He had just though she would be coming with them. And now they would be separate again. Banzai gulped and sent one last pleading glance up at Shenzi before he and Ed turned to walked away.

Banzai's glance struck Shenzi to her core. She clenched her jaws together tightly, fighting to remain strong. To go through with her internal promise. If Simba would not let her die, then she could at least atone for her sins by continuing to live in suffering. _Does it really matter?_ she wondered briefly.

 _Go ahead, break. No matter what you do… you can never be happy._

XXX

 **Ha, I'm an ass. Well there you have it, the final chapter of My Sin. But don't go too far… there's still an epilogue. Will Shenzi break, or will she remain strong? Of course, you all want her to break, but she doesn't want that. Don't you see that it's for the best if they remain apart? Well… this was a long chapter. I think the longest one of this entire story. That fight scene took a lot of work too, by the way. And I couldn't help but poke fun at the Lion King one and a half scene… don't worry, though, that was just a joke. So, whether Shenzi breaks or stays strong is yet to be seen, so stay tuned to find out!**


	11. Chapter 11

Epilogue - Lost:

Author's Note:

 **Congratulations to you all for making it to the end. Last chapter ended a bit ambiguously, but the reason for that will become obviously pretty quickly. Originally, I was going to tell you all that I had two endings planned, a "good" and a "bad" ending… but I'm not going to tell you which one this is. I'll leave that up for you to decide. So… please, enjoy!**

XXX

 _Go ahead, break. No matter what you do… you can never be happy._

 _Happiness,_ she thought bitterly. _Is there even such a thing?_ Did it truly matter if she broke or not? She had already admitted to herself that she loved him, and he her. But… he was guilty of treason to the highest degree. But, then again, she was guilty of many crimes as well. Was their situation truly different?

 _Don't break._

She could guarantee herself that if he stayed, she would still suffer. She would suffer if she was alone. If she was to suffer either way… did it really matter if she was alone or with someone else? That's right… she didn't want to drag others down with her.

 _Or do._

But by staying in the Pridelands, she was already dragging others down with her. What's one more? Maybe the reason she suffered is because she never gave in. Why _did_ she never give in? Perhaps if she was to just stop thinking, she would stop suffering.

 _It doesn't matter._

No… no… she couldn't do that. She could never do that. If she stopped thinking, she would cease to exist. At least as herself. That would be the worst suffering imaginable, and she would never know why. If she gave up, if she broke, ceased to be herself, then she could be happy.

 _You don't want happiness._

 _No, I don't,_ she realized. And that fact alone was what had driven her for so long. Happiness could not exist with intelligence… and that was her one trait she valued above all others. It was what made her unique… one of a kind.

 _Is that fair? To be the only one who can think?_

 _Is_ that fair? If she was the only one who could truly think, then she was the only one who could truly suffer. That wasn't fair to her, or to anyone else. Without the ability to think, yes, they could not perceive true suffering… but they would never be free.

 _Wait._

 _Freedom…_ the thought echoed within her. _That_ was the difference between her and everyone else. Her sin was the price of her freedom. And she had never truly cherished it. She was the one and only creature in the world that could make _real_ decisions, that could make _real_ choices, that could _choose_ her own path. She was free.

 _But then why do you remain?_

No matter how hard Simba tried, he could never make a real choice. His actions were laid out before him, dictated by the events that proceeded him. It was the same for all the hyenas, Banzai included. _Then is it truly fair to punish them?_ she wondered.

 _They lack free will._

And cannot be responsible for their actions. They were always going to do what they were always going to do… there was nothing she, or anyone else, could do to stop them. Thus, they cannot be judged guilty, as they were just the playthings of causality. They had destinies, fates, but she did not. She was not bound as they were.

 _Is this enough to justify saving him?_

Does he deserve to be saved? Even if he had no control… could she actually just let him walk free? "Wait," she all but whispered. The king, who stood beside her, looked down at her, confusion evident on his face. But she repeated herself, louder this time, "Wait!"

Banzai and Ed stopped, but the other hyenas had made it out of range, they could not hear her. And she didn't want them to hear her. Because what she was doing would only hurt them more. And, if they weren't responsible, they didn't deserve to suffer more than they were fated to. Banzai and Ed turned around, hope welling in their eyes.

"Shenzi?" Simba asked, hoping that she would clarify why she stopped these two specifically. She clenched her eyes shut and ground her teeth until they ached. She wanted to call him over to her, by her side once more, forgive him for all that he had no choice but to do, and then live on. But, at the same time… she needed him to face some sort of punishment.

"Banzai…" she said, not loudly, not softly, just her normal speaking voice, forcing him to approach the rock. Ed did not move, but he hoped whatever she was going to do would include him as well. "Do you know what you've done wrong? Do you truly _understand_ why I have to let you go?"

He licked his lips and thought hard. Knowing her, the answer would not be obvious. "I know only what you think I've done wrong," he said slowly, carefully, as if stepping through a minefield.

"And what would that be?" she asked. Simba stood next to her, utterly confused. Was she going to let him stay? He was willing to let all her clanmates remain in the Pridelands… why would she only consider saving one?

Once again, he thought hard. What had he done wrong? The easy answer… he had betrayed her and Simba… but that was too easy. There had to be something deeper. Why did it elude him? _Had she already told me?_ he wondered. But finally, he looked up, straight into her eyes, and said, "I… did not think."

She tilted her head back and let loose a loud, cacophonous laugh. It echoed throughout the Pridelands and struck Banzai deeply. _Have I guessed wrong?_ Banzai wondered, fear settling deep into his heart. Her laugh eventually faded into a loud sigh, "That was your most glaring mistake, yes. But let me ask you once more, did you merely _not think_ or _can_ you not merely think?"

"Both?" he asked hesitantly.

She shook her head, but not in disappointment. She knew he'd get this answer wrong. "No, Banzai. They are mutually exclusive statements; you cannot have both. That is why you cannot think," she said. "Saying that you did not think implies that you can indeed do such… you cannot."

Banzai looked down at his paws, believing he was done for, but she was not finished. "Simba… I would like to retract my earlier statement. I want Banzai to stay with me," she said. Simba raised an eyebrow and looked back to where Ed stood.

"Are you sure you only want him? What about everyone else?" Simba asked softly, quiet enough that Banzai couldn't hear him.

"It can only be him," she answered just as quietly. Banzai stared up at them, wondering if Simba wouldn't let him stay.

"Very well. Banzai, your crimes against myself and the Pridelands are hereby pardoned. You may stay, if you so wish," Simba said. Banzai felt his soul soar before it immediately crashed back to the ground. _What about Ed?_ he wondered, turning back to see his best friend had snuck up behind him. _He knows._

The two hyenas exchanged goodbyes, they would never see each other again. Tears dripped from Ed's eyes as he walked away, he knew no one was going to stop him like they had done Banzai. Banzai waited until Ed had gone before letting out a shaky breath. _Is this worth it?_ he wondered.

He made his way up to Pride Rock, where he belonged, and went over to her. "I… don't know what to say…" he said softly. He was suddenly unsure of himself. This is what he wanted, wasn't it? To have her all to himself. He had finally won… but was it worth it? He had to give up everyone and everything… could he truly be happy?

She walked over to him and licked him kindly. _"Now, you're mine,"_ she whispered in his ear. Banzai could feel his apprehension vanishing. This was what he wanted! He had won! He was going to-

 _What the hell are you doing?_

XXX

Timon turned around to see Shenzi standing behind him. He glanced back at the gathering of cubs, who were on the edge of their seats waiting for him to finish his story. He turned back to Shenzi, "Whatever do you mean?"

He had been telling a group of cubs of how Shenzi and Banzai came to stay in the Pridelands, while all their clanmates were banished. A year had passed since Scar's defeat, and Timon, due to his job as Simba's babysitter, had taken it upon himself to watch over the next generation of cubs. And that included a curious looking hyena cub with bright eyes.

Shenzi's eyes narrowed, "That's not how it happened." Timon gulped, Shenzi had changed quite a bit since she had reigned victorious over Scar. She had delved into her work as Simba's advisor and hardly ever spent any time with anyone. Not even Banzai, who she had saved from a horrible fate.

Even the bright-eyed hyena cub. "I had decided to… uh, skip the explicit stuff," Timon said nervously. For the longest time, Shenzi had not scared him… but now he was not so sure. As the distance between her and everyone else, her temper flared more often. She would lash out randomly, unable to contain herself. She looked so very much like the hyenas she had banished.

"That's not what I mean," she sighed. Timon refused to let out a relieved breath, although she didn't lash out… he wasn't safe yet. He noticed one of the lion cubs raise a paw in the air out of the corner of his eye. He, without breaking his sight away from Shenzi, pointed at the cub.

The little cub had a pale brown pelt like her mother, but her eyes burned a bright red like her father's. The princess, Kiara, had something to say. "Miss Shenzi? If that's not what happened, what did?" She, like the other cubs, were still curious about how the story ended.

But Timon saw one of the cubs darken and shrink back from the others. She had clearly already heard this story from her father. Timon could feel pity well up inside of him. That cub, though never alone, not if Timon could help it, had grown up only with her father. She never got to see her mother.

A vicious grin presented itself on Shenzi's face. A cold jolt of fear danced down Timon's spine. The truth was a bit more cold than the cubs were ready for. He was going to give them a better ending, but Shenzi wouldn't shy away from the reality of it all.

So Timon interrupted her, before she could say anything, "What did you want?" She glared at him, but he did not flinch. "You must've come over here for some other reason than to interrupt my story."

She growled, but did not continue with the truth. "Jasiri, with me," she hissed and walked away. The hyena cub slunk after her, fear evident in her purple eyes. Timon watched them go, hoping that nothing bad would happen to the little cub. It had been a very long time since Shenzi had said anything to her daughter.

Kiara watched them go as well. Jasiri was her best friend, and knew how poorly she was treated by her mother. She had tried many times to get her father to force Shenzi to do something with her daughter, to bring them together again… but Simba always said the same thing. _"There's nothing that can be done, I'm afraid."_

"Uncle Timon?" Kiara said, breaking the meerkat's attention away from Shenzi's retreating form. Now that was a name he had greatly enjoyed. It was so much better than Stooge… which he would take even now, as Shenzi had yet to address him by name since her victory, even his false name. "So how does the real story end?"

 _I'll never forgive you… or myself for breaking,_ was the truth. The truth that Timon refused to tell them. And she had never wavered from that idea. It was why she was so distant, why she refused to spend time with either Banzai or her own daughter. She had given Banzai what he wanted… then never saw him again. "Nothing… nothing that you need to know," Timon sighed.

Kiara looked disappointed, so Timon tried to cheer them up, "But we still have my story to finish!"

The gathering of cubs gave him a dry look as Kiara, clearly the voice of the group, said, "But uncle Timon… that story's not true."

Timon brightened, refusing to be negative… it wasn't good for the cubs to be exposed to the darkness that surrounded Shenzi, so he had to break them away from it. "Ah, but that's what makes the story interesting. Even if you never know the truth, at least you know what didn't happen, right?" he grinned when he saw the confusion spring up on their faces. They cannot know the truth.

XXX

Shenzi and her daughter trekked throughout the Pridelands. They walked for hours and hours, Jasiri slowly losing patience with her mother. She pulled her away from Timon to walk? She hadn't even seen Shenzi in _months,_ let alone even spoken to her! Now they were together, and alone, and all she wanted to do was walk?

Eventually, Shenzi stopped on a large outcrop overlooking a massive canyon. The very gulch that Mufasa had died in. She lied down to watch the sun set, Jasiri walked over to her. "Mother," she said. She didn't even know what her real name was. She knew father, though he liked to be called daddy, was really named Banzai… but she had no idea what mother's real name was.

Shenzi did not respond to her daughter. She only stared out at the sunset with hollow eyes. "Mother… what do you want?" Jasiri clarified. Again, Shenzi did not respond. Jasiri, angry at Shenzi for ignoring her own daughter, turned and walked away.

"Where are you going?" Shenzi said, not breaking her gaze away from the sunset. The question itself wasn't malicious, nor was her tone, but Jasiri couldn't help the shiver that went down her spine. _How can I be scared of my own mother?_ she wondered.

"Away from you. Do you know how long it has been since we've spoken? _Months_ , mother. I'm starting to think that you don't love me," Jasiri hissed. _Despite what father has said… I don't think you love anyone,_ her eyes clenched together tightly.

"Does it seem like I don't love you?" Shenzi asked, never looking at her daughter. Not that it would matter, Jasiri had her back to her.

"Yes," Jasiri simply.

"I misspoke… _why_ does it seem I don't love you?" Shenzi asked. Jasiri growled slightly, she hated this. And she knew Banzai hated it too. Shenzi liked to ask difficult questions, ones where the right answer was only available to her. But… this one seemed like a given.

Jasiri whirled around and practically screamed, "You're never around! You never speak to me! You've never _even said you do!_ How can you begin to think that you love me?" She paused in her outburst, teeth clenched tightly. "You don't love me like daddy does."

Shenzi snorted, "He only loves you because he can do nothing else. He is preprogrammed to do so, Jasiri. And I was hoping you'd understand that… I am not like _daddy_." She flinched upon those words. Jasiri's eyebrow rose.

But Shenzi wasn't done, "We aren't like him, or anyone else for that matter. Do you love me?" She let out a low groan and shifted her sitting body, still looking at the sunset. Age had set into her bones and walking that far had made her tired and sore.

Jasiri thought for a moment, but eventually sighed and said, "Of course I do… just as daddy does." She almost wanted to ask _why she did this to them._ But she held her tongue.

Shenzi chuckled lowly, "He's a fool, and you shouldn't follow in his example. You shouldn't just simply love me, just because that's the easiest thing to do. You have all the reason to hate me, and I expected you to say as much." She glanced down at her paws.

"You're wrong," Jasiri said. She saw one of Shenzi's ears flick upwards from hearing those foreign words. The elder hyena had said them often enough… but they were rarely said to her. For she was rarely wrong.

"You are the fool, mother," Jasiri hissed, "even though you abandoned us… daddy still loves you, and so do I… and so does everyone else. Why are you like this? What in this world has turned you against it?"

Shenzi ground her teeth together, but did not respond to her daughter. "Daddy's sick, he's going to die soon," Jasiri said, changing the topic, knowing that her mother would never answer her questions. She would have to find those answers herself.

"I know," Shenzi all but whispered. Although she had refused to see him, Simba had told her of Banzai's failing health. He was dying bit by bit each day… it wouldn't be long.

"And I think you're sick too… but in a different way than daddy," Jasiri claimed boldly. Shenzi froze, before turning around slowly to gaze upon her daughter. The dying light sent fire through Jasiri's fur, she was practically glowing.

"And maybe it won't outright kill you, but you're destroying yourself bit by bit, aren't you? _Why do you suffer when no such thing exists?_ " Jasiri growled.

Shenzi stared at her daughter as the minuets passed. Eventually, the light was extinguished and darkness reigned supreme once more. At that moment, Shenzi started to chuckle. And that chuckling grew into laughter, that same insane laughter that had plagued her under Scar's rule.

 _"Open your eyes, child!"_ she hissed, causing Jasiri to jump. "Suffering is _everywhere_! You speak just like I did when I was your age… you'll come around eventually."

"No, mother," Jasiri said, "It's your eyes that are closed. You _chose_ to see suffering where there is none! How can it be that you are the only one that suffers in this world?"

The two glared at each other, neither willing to back down. Eventually, Shenzi reached out to her daughter. Jasiri flinched away, fearing for her life, but she was not fast enough to escape Shenzi. She was grabbed and pulled forward… into a deep hug.

Shenzi pulled Jasiri close, her eyes shut tight. Jasiri felt… _warm_. So much warmer than she had ever felt before. Why was she doing this? They held that position for what seemed like an eternity until Shenzi finally let her daughter go.

 _"It is hopeless, Jasiri… Banzai will pass by tomorrow morning and soon, I too will go. Timon will fall next, and even the mighty Simba. Then… you will be alone. Instinct will force you to leave your friends to find a clan of your own, a vain hope of continuing your bloodline… but you will find none. You will be all alone, lost in the world… with nowhere to go… but to rush towards death,"_ Shenzi whispered to her daughter.

"I have made a huge mistake… and I do not expect, nor wish upon forgiveness. I have cast you into a fate worse than death itself… and perhaps I have been unable to face you because of that. Perhaps… I was preparing you for the inevitable," she sighed.

Jasiri could stop herself from breaking out into tears, "Why would you think such a thing? I know the fate of all things… why would you think, however, that instinct would force me to do anything? Am I not your daughter? Am I not free?"

Shenzi took a shaky breath, "That's what I was afraid of… because even _I_ was not strong enough to resist instinct. The bloodlust, the desire to procreate, the need to continue living prevents me from doing anything else. You will fall, just like I did."

Jasiri glared at her mother through the screen of tears, "Mother… I forgive you. I forgive you for everything, just please, don't suffer alone! Come back to me and daddy, live with him in his final moments. Just because its hopeless doesn't mean you shouldn't have hope."

Shenzi chuckled, "It is the definition of hopeless, it would seem. How could something so redundant inspire anything within me? But I suppose… I could visit him, one last time." Jasiri wiped the tears from her eyes, it worked. She had finally gotten through her mother's tough shell. And maybe… maybe she would start to get better. Even if Banzai was a goner… Shenzi could still be saved.

XXX

Banzai readjusted himself as he heard the sound of Jasiri entering their home. The sickness had taken from him his sight and most of his motor control. He knew he was just about dead… and his one regret would have to be not being able to see his daughter's face before he went. But there was something strange about Jasiri's footsteps, they seemed too heavy for the young cub.

"Banzai," a voice he recognized called out. _Shenzi!_ he thought as he realized who's voice it was. Why was she here? He thought for sure she had said that she would never forgive him… that she would never see him again. And yet… he could swear that was her voice.

"Shenzi?" he asked cautiously. Jasiri's eyes widened, _so that's her name,_ she realized. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you through to the end. It's only fair, after all," she mumbled. He might not have gotten this sick if he had gone with the others. Sure, he would still be dead… but maybe not so soon.

"It sounds like you blame yourself for this," Banzai noted. Now that all he did was lie around… he had begun to think. At least… to the best of his ability. And thinking was hard, he would admit. He would never envy her for all that thinking she did. She opened her mouth to respond, but he interrupted her, "Don't. This isn't your fault, my dearest Shenzi."

She snorted, of course it wasn't her fault. She didn't need him to affirm that for her. "I came to say goodbye, Banzai." She remained completely composed, refusing to even let out a whimper.

Banzai laughed, but broke out into a coughing fit. He was fading swiftly, now. It wouldn't be long until he collapsed. "After all we've been through together… after thick and thin… I… still… love… you…" and then he collapsed.

Shenzi rushed over to him, though she had not been sitting far away. His blank eyes stared into her hollow ones. He was not quite gone, but getting there. He heard her gulp and lick her lips. He wondered if she was going to say anything else to him. She didn't… but he did to her. "Please… take care of… our daughter," he choked out before he could speak no more.

Jasiri watched the seemingly emotionless Shenzi stare down at the dying Banzai, before the elder hyena leaned down and whispered something in Banzai's ear. Something that Jasiri could not hear. Then the elder hyena walked away.

"Mother?" she asked as Shenzi walked. The elder hyena did not respond, and easily outpaced her slower daughter. She left the cave, Jasiri standing at the lip watching her go. _Did Banzai's death actually affect her… or is she going on as she normally does?_ Jasiri wondered. A question that she would never have answered.

Shenzi walked far away from Banzai and Pride Rock. She walked until she could walk no further. She stopped in a large field before she finally broke down. She collapsed with a sob, _why does this hurt so much?_ Tears streamed down her face as she tried to regain control over herself, but she could not. At least Banzai had died with a smile on his face, which was more than she could say for herself, due to what she had said to him.

 _I forgive you._

XXX

 _Jasiri watched and waited for her mother, never leaving the entrance to Banzai's cave. The hours turned to days. Timon was almost always by her side. Sometimes Kiara would join her… and sometimes even Simba would wait with her._

 _Days became weeks as Jasiri's hope waned. Eventually, Kiara stopped coming to wait with her. Even Timon was losing hope. Eventually… eventually… even Timon gave up. And it was just Jasiri waiting at the lip of Banzai's cave._

 _Simba had been kind enough to give Banzai a proper burial. Jasiri hoped mother… Shenzi was not dead. She had a promise to keep, damn it! Why would Shenzi just leave like that? Why would she just abandon everything she had built here?_

 _She could feel Timon beside her as the weeks became a month. "She's not coming back," he said softly. He didn't want to believe it… but it was true. Shenzi was gone. Jasiri couldn't contain herself any longer. She had not wept when Banzai had passed… but now she couldn't stop herself. Why was mother so cruel?_

 _Just as she was turning to walk away, to give up, to let go, she looked back once more. Just one last vain hope that she was coming back. And as the sun set on that month… Jasiri saw nothing. Not her mother's gray fur, nor black mane… not even the yellow of her eyes. Shenzi was gone. Forever._

XXX

 **They key to a good ending is to make it powerful. Make it something everyone would remember. And I know… I told some of you what was going to happen. Well, I changed my mind in these last moments. And… I know I said that I had two endings planned, and I was going to show both to you… but I decided to combine the endings. Now we're left with whatever this is. So… I hope you enjoyed this story, but we're not quite finished yet. I have a final author's note, one last piece to share with you all. Stay tuned for that!**


	12. Chapter 12

Final Author's Note:

Right, well, I know this is out a bit quick, but it's a rather short note. So, I'd like to start out by saying that I enjoyed writing this story, I had been sitting on it for quite a while. I had a lot of this story typed out before I even had a fanfiction account… but I'm sure I told you about my old laptop crashing and losing all my progress on this story.

Which gave me a unique opportunity. I thought long and hard about the story and, let me tell you, the story doesn't look at all like it did on my old laptop. Is the story better? Well… I cannot say that for sure. I definitely liked this story, and I think the ending had the impact I wanted it to (which was more than the other story could say… where I couldn't quite get the ending right in my mind).

But, as I was rewriting the story, I kept changing things. Some things I cut out entirely, others I tweaked just a bit… and changed the story drastically. So, I'd like to talk about those alternate story lines a bit because you aren't going to get to see them.

So, the first thing that I considered when writing this story was whether or not to introduce Timon as a main character. My idea was to create someone who could challenge Shenzi, even if she would always prevail. Obviously, I decided to keep Timon in the story, but the idea of having Shenzi and Simba run together when Mufasa died and _then_ she met Timon might have been interesting to explore. And the story would also likely have ended a bit differently too, she and Timon (and probably Banzai as well) would go back to the oasis and live out a relatively happy ending.

A different ending I had considered was keeping Shenzi and Timon together and having them run with Simba to the oasis after Scar took over. This ending would be the same as the one above, just with Shenzi and Timon already having met…

There were also a few deleted scenes that I almost wish I could've shown you. One with Shenzi and Rafiki during Scar's rule, one with Busara right before Shenzi attempted to destroy herself, and one with Shenzi and Scar where she was actually supposed to lose the game of chess. But I decided to take these scenes out because they weren't working right.

And then, of course, we get to the ending that I decided upon. The mixed ending. The first half of the ending was all supposed to be the good ending, where Shenzi (who had grown callous) was supposed to regain her light, then the actual last section was all the bad ending… where Shenzi exiles herself.

A lot of you realized that the last part poisons the whole ending, turning it bad… and, you should note, that Shenzi could be dead. Or she could be in exile. I'm not going to tell, because it's more fun for you to guess. And… I guess I wanted the ending to be poisoned. When I asked myself, _what does Shenzi deserve?_ I realized that what _she deserves_ is only what she _thinks she deserves_ … which is to suffer.

So, I made her suffer. The original bad ending was supposed to have her exile herself, but her clan stayed in the Pridelands in her place. Then she was never supposed to come back. And, after lamenting about her current position in life, she would die. End of story. But that was a bit boring…

I would like to talk a bit about the themes of this story. I know, I know, you don't read fanfiction to hear about "themes." This isn't English class… but I write with the intention to tell a story… and a story isn't a story unless it has a theme. One of you has already actually noted the overarching theme, but there's more to it than that.

So, we're introduced to this character called Shenzi. And she's suffering, and at first it's clear _why_ she's suffering. Living conditions are poor, her friends and family are dropping like flies, and she's slowly dying. But then that idea is challenged when she and Timon begin talking. She understands something that no one else does… evil.

And, as we continue through the story, we learn of this concept called sin. And we know that Scar has many sins, the hyenas have a single, main sin, and so does Shenzi. But her sin is different. And, at first, we don't know why. But in one of the final chapters, we learn that her "sin" is existing. And the reason why she suffers. And, in the epilogue, we learn why she has this sin. She, unlike all the other characters in this story, is truly free. She has free will, and she suffers because of it.

Which is why she ran from Jasiri. Why she exiled herself. Despite all her freedom, she is chained to this suffering… and it will eventually consume her. And I realize that it might seem a bit too much for a simple fanfiction, but I wanted to do something more interesting than just a simple story.

So, before I leave you all… I have just a few questions to ask. Don't worry, it won't take long. And I hope to hear from as many of you as I possibly can. So, and I know I don't do this often (and I am reluctant to do this at all), please leave a review.

1: As I said earlier, I enjoyed writing this story, and I hope (despite how it ended) you all enjoyed reading this story. Which is why I ask, is there a particular favorite scene of yours? Something that really caught your eye? Or, how about a scene you hated? Or something that I can never apologize for doing to any of our "heroes"?

2: This is my first time writing a Lion King fanfiction, my specialty is Jurassic World, actually… so I was wondering if there were any character depictions you really liked, or really hated. Such as (even if I gave an OC warning) you didn't like how I portrayed Shenzi. Or you liked how I portrayed her, either or both is fine.

3: So this is a bit difficult for me to ask, but I was wondering if you all were expecting a sequel. I wouldn't dare presume anything, but I would be lying if I hadn't at least _thought_ of what a sequel could entail. I mean… it would take some time until I actually started on it (as I am a bit busy at the moment for new things) but it wouldn't turn out too badly. I mean, I won't spoil anything… but it would focus on Jasiri.

Anyways, if you all could just drop me a review (or a PM, if you prefer), that would be great. I would like to thank All Hail King Scar for inspiring me to actually post this story, and if you like reading about Shenzi… and you enjoy watching her suffer… I would definitely recommend his (or her, I'm not actually sure and I've learned not to assume) stories. Thank you all for reading, it means a lot. Vellichor29 out.


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